Triple Threat Top 10!

Some of the rowdy bunch that captured my heart...

For many years now (more than actually I care to remember, to be honest) fighting games have been my biggest attraction in the wonderful world of video games. From the first time I picked up IK+ on the Commodore 64 I found the allure of controlling master marital artists irresistible, and through the years this love only intensified with the barrage of staggering triumphs that were released in the genre. There is no other family of game that offers such diversity and depth of character, as the world of the fighting game (AM2's Fighting Palm tree, anyone?!). And it's testament to the genre that even today, the likes of Arcana Heart 3, Tekken Tag 2 and BlazBlu are keeping the torch lit. Just goes to show, knocking seven bells out of your mates will never get old!

Anyways, after a chance Twitter conversation with fellow brawling connoisseurs; Messrs Dave Bird and Anton Sombetzki, we decided to each jot down our top 10 favourite fighting games and then compare the lists...vs style! Given that we each enjoy differing gaming palettes, the variations in selections should hopefully make for some interesting reading.

This is the first time I've embarked on compiling this list so, here goes...or as Anton put it: "three dudes, ten games, one week!"

By the by, this not my take on the "definitive" or "greatest" fighting games. It just those which I hold dearest, and the systems on which I fell in love with them...so please don't be offended if a certain game hasn't made it.

1. Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting (SNES/Super Famicom)

Funny what some new colours and a speed increase can do, eh...

As anyone who knows me (even a little bit) could probably tell you, I am bit of a Street Fighter nut, and Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting is my most beloved of the lot. In fact it is not only my favourite fighting game, but also my favourite game...period. I can honestly say that I have never felt the same level of anticipation or love for any other video game, nor has there been another game that I have ploughed the same (obscene) number of hours into in all my years of rolling quarter circles. For me this game has absolutely everything; a near perfect balance, an intelligent and diverse character roster, fantastic visuals and sound effects and possibly the most hated villain the fighting game world has ever seen. It was and still is a shining beacon for Capcom at their very best.

2. The King of Fighters 98 (PSX)

Dragon vs Wolf, in stunning SNK-ovision!

Pound for pound, the best King of Fighters game there is, and probably the best 3 on 3 fighting game I've ever had the privilege to play. KOF 98 is a kind of 'best of' from the previous instalments (94 to 97) and it certainly shows. It has probably the finest roster of characters I've ever seen in a fighting game with characters shipped in from all over wacky world of SNK, a ludicrous amount of depth and some wonderfully extravagant (but not over the top) combo attacks. What sets KOF 98 apart from all other fighting games though, is the sheer amount of minute detail that SNK stashed away inside it; little touches like Kensou choking on a pork bun and Terry's hat falling off when you lose a bout, are almost insignificant but show just how much effort was poured into the game. While it did borrow a lot from other games (namely Street Fighter), KOF 98 remains my favourite fighting game of its generation.

3. Tekken 2 (PSX)

Brush head biker, batters armoured thief...in a forest, why not!

The first Tekken game kind of passed me by (as did a lot of early polygonal 32bit games) but when it's sequel (imaginatively titled Tekken 2!) arrived on the scene it, demanded that I sit up and take notice of it. From the (even now) gorgeous CG intro sequence to the excellent soundtrack, Tekken 2 remains to this day my favourite poly-fighter. Where Namco truly excelled themselves though was with the sheer depth of this game...there are no other brawlers from this period with anywhere near the same amount of scale to them. There is a bewildering array of oddball fighters to choose from, and more than enough variety to suit all styles of play. More than this though, each character has a distinct personality to them that really helped to pull me in. Add to this a fascinating tactical approach to each bout, where a considered approach would often be rewarded (as opposed to the rather speed heavy/move spamming approach we now see in current Tekken games) and you are in for a royal treat.

4.  Street Fighter Alpha 2 (Saturn)

The Capcom geekometer is off the charts here...

I adore the Street Fighter Alpha series, it was definitely the logical way for Capcom to take Street Fighter at the time, and Alpha 2 is my favourite of the three. Although it has a smaller roster than Alpha 3, I've always considered it to be the most balanced of the series and I'd also say it's the prettiest, too. There are three distinctly different fighting styles you can choose from, lots of very impressive super combos and a mountain geek-tastic cameos in the stages stages (my favourite bit!). I've chosen the Saturn version of Alpha 2 here because it was the most faithful port around at the time, little (but significant) touches like the water reflections in Gen's stage and a number of extra animation frames just push it above the PSX version.

5. Capcom vs SNK 2: Millionaire's Fighting (Dreamcast)

After years of clamouring, the fans got their way...and it was good!

It's probably not wrong to call this game 'the fan boy's wet dream'...it's certainly how I felt when I got my hands on it. Happily for me though, the game managed to live up to the hype that surrounded it. The choice of characters on offer here is frankly insane, with a plethora of fan favourites making the cut. CvS 2's stand-out feature though, is it's choice of combat styles; there are three from both the Capcom and SNK stables, plus the ability to customise your own...this allows for some truly in-depth and epic tinkering, I found myself spending hours here just getting the balance tight for my own style. While the game is not perfect; a lack of Robert Garcia and a gimped Ryo Sakazaki are unfortunate, it is still one of the most magnificent fighting games I've ever picked up.

6. The Last Blade 2 (Neo Geo CD)

SNK's prettiest ever game?

Big shout time here. I consider The Last Blade 2 to the best looking game that SNK produced, and this is what initially drew me to it. The stunning vistas of feudal Japan, intriguing characters and innovative battle system, make for a splendid (and indeed my favourite) weapons based fighting game. It's slightly less comic book style than the (also magnificent) Samurai Shodown but manages to keep that manga feel to it...the SNK artists really outdid themselves with this one. Although the access times on the Neo Geo CD version mean you have to wait an eternity between bouts, this just adds to the anticipation...and lets you go and make a sandwich!

7. Street Fighter III Third Strike (Dreamcast)

The purists choice...and with good reason

Yes, its another Street Fighter game (sorry), but it really is hard to argue with the pedigree of Third Strike. After playing Alpha for so long, I initially found it difficult to get into Street Fighter III but once I picked up Third Strike and got to grips with it's intricacies I found it to be Capcom's best since Hyper Fighting. The new parry system allows for some epic counter attacking and for once, the new characters were of a pretty high standard (except for Urien in his undies!). The old favourites are not left to rot though with Capcom breathing new life into Ryu and Ken et al...this means loads of fun relearning them all over again! This game spent has spent so much time in my little Dreamcast, and I picked it up brand new just for £10, can't say fairer than that!

8. Garou: Mark of the Wolves (PS2)

Finally, Garou plays as good as it looks...

I've been a fan of the Garou/Fatal Fury games from the very beginning, but while each game was interesting and well presented I could never help thinking that not a single instalment was as polished, or as well executed as a Street Fighter game...at least until Mark of the Wolves was released. SNK tweaked the system and made it more conventional (I know that sounds like a sell out but it honestly brings so much more to the game), giving it a much nicer flow while also introducing some new miscreants to the party. The overall result is incredible! I actually felt like all other Garou games had been made just to facilitate the arrival of MOTW. Sure, the game borrows heavily from other franchises but this doesn't diminish it's quality one bit. Although I own Mark of the Wolves for the Dreamcast too, I found myself ploughing the most number of hours into the Japanese PS2 version.

9. Fighters Megamix (Saturn)

This was the ultimate SEGA get together!

There was a list of reasons why I wanted to own a Sega Saturn back in the day, and top of that list was Fighters Megamix. An epic coming together of some of Sega's most beloved franchises...it read like a who's who of fighting games! The fact that I could pit Akira against Bahn was brilliant, but to be able to then pit Bark against the Hornet car from Daytona...in a cage match was just too much! AM2 also saw fit to add to the ability to dodge, which enabled some sneaky counter attacks and a genuine extra layer of scope to the game. Fighters Megamix may lack the slick presentation of Tekken 2 but in terms of depth it runs Namco's finest very close indeed, and that helps propel it into this list and makes it the finest 3D fighting game I've ever played.

10. Killer Instinct (SNES)

Insane combos at their best!

When I first laid eyes on Killer Instinct I was gob-smacked by how stunning it looked but also fairly sceptical of what Rare seemed to be trying to achieve. Their formula of Street Fighter II + Mortal Kombat + massively insane combos struck me as a bit naughty and more than a bit lazy, this all changed however once I finally got my mitts the game. KI's biggest draw by far is the combo system, which is nothing short of brilliant. It takes a little while to learn what move links to the next but once you get the basics, you won't look back. As previously mentioned, it looks glorious and has one of the best soundtracks on the SNES. It may not be the most original game in terms of characters and settings but it certainly is bags of fun, and that surely, is the point.

So there we are then, my ten favourite fighting games. I hope you enjoyed reading the list as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Please feel free to vote, comment, share and subscribe...oh and check out my comrade's lists too!

Honourable mentions:

Samurai Shodown 2, Fighting Vipers, Dead Dance, Virtua Fighter 2, Street Fighter IV, World Heroes Perfect, Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, Soul Edge, SD Hiryu no Ken, Waku Waku 7, IK+, Flying Dragon, Last Bronx, Arcana Heart, Galaxy Fight, Super Smash Brothers, SvC Chaos, Gals Fighters, Rival Schools United by Fate

Vote for your favourite game?

• Have a look at Anton's top 10
• Have a look at Dave's top 10

There is just about enough time left for to mention a game that, while very popular would never make into (or even close to) my top 10 list...the elephant in the corner:

Mortal Kombat (Arcade and every console)

Ridiculous...

I'll come out with it straight away, I just don't "get" Mortal Kombat. Never have and probably never will. That's not to say I've never tried though, I've played (and indeed owned) at least four instalments of the series, and can honestly say I've never once enjoyed playing it. I don't know if it's the fact that it's too American, had stupid and ugly graphics or just that Midway managed to spawn a truck load of games based on nothing but overly gratuitous violence. For me, a fighting game must have depth, interesting characters and a fluid feel to it, Mortal Kombat has none of these. In fact the best way I can sum it up is like this; when my mate first got his SNES copy on 'Mortal Monday', I rushed round to his house to play it...within 30 minutes we were back playing Street Fighter II. Case closed.  

Friday bargain hunting...scraping the barrel?

Better than a Greggs sausage roll any day...

Searching for ludicrously cheap video games is fast becoming something of a Friday lunch time tradition for my work mates and I. Recent trips to the local branch of Cash Converters have yielded some outrageous spoils, the likes of Popo LoCrois (PSP), Sonic Jam (Saturn) and Colony Wars: Vengeance (PSX) were all picked up for under £5 (in the case of Colony Wars, it was only 99p)!!

Last Friday's foraging was equally fruitful, and I snagged the bargain of the day...the fantastic Taito Legends 2 on the Playstation 2, for just 2 English pounds (lots of twos there sorry!). That's £2 for a disc (which looked brand new) loaded with 39 arcade games from 1979 right through to 1996. Now I know that every one of these titles pre-dates the PS2 by many years or even decades in some cases, and the rehashing of classic arcade games is an acquired taste but regardless of that, most of these games have more heart, soul and depth than a lot of the generic muck we see cluttering the shelves at present.

Upon firing the disc up, you're greeted by a sweet intro, showcasing all of the classic games on offer, and much to my surprise and joy, this slick show is also accompanied by some quite gorgeous music...more thumbs up action from me. The games themselves are sorted chronologically which unfortunately means that you'll initially be greeted by some decidedly ropey looking and underwhelming examples of gaming from the early 80's. Things soon pick up though and in a big way too, everything from the late 80's onwards is bullet proof, and you're soon rolling in SHMUPs, scrolling beat 'em ups and addictive puzzle games.

At this point, rather than wade through all 39 games individually, I've just picked out my five highlights from the collection for further inspection:

Kiki Kaikai (1986)
The ancestral grandfather to the Pocky and Rocky series (which I absolutely adored), Kiki Kaikai is a old style overhead run and gun game...only there are no guns, just Japanese cards and a wand! It is set in that cool period of feudal Japan, which comes complete with a ton of mythological spirits and monsters trying to put an end to your plucky character, Sayo-chan. The gameplay is fairly basic but it's also really addictive, and I was taken aback at just how difficult the game can get. The cute graphics still hold up (quite) well, and although things do get a little repetitive, the setting makes a nice difference from all the sci-fi styled offerings that are the norm with this kind of game.


Dungeon Magic (1994)
Being a big fan of scrolling beat 'em ups and also being partial to the odd isometric game as well, I was fairly embarrassed to discover that I'd never even heard of Dungeon Magic before buying the Taito Legends collection. This game is quality, plain and simple. If you harbour any fondness for scrolling beat 'em ups then you need to play it. The characters are chunky, brilliantly animated and look intricately detailed, it's also nice to see that even the enemies are given this treatment. In fact, this game looks so impressive that it could easily pass for a Neo Geo title...which is ace in my book. Neither the story nor the gameplay are particular revolutionary, but four players can play at the same time and this makes a fantastic experience even more fun. Add in an epic musical score and that unique isometric viewpoint and it makes for a real unexpected gem.


Darius Gaiden (1994)
The Darius series is one of Taito's most famous and beloved franchises, but not one I've ever been overly familiar with. After playing Gaiden for five minutes though I could tell that this would change...and soon, the game flies along at a fantastically fast pace, and although it is very chaotic at times, you never feel like you're just along for the ride with no control. The graphics are big, bold and colourful, with some hugely impressive enemies appearing along the way...the Golden Ogre from the end of the first stage is a genuine "wow" moment. Darius Gaiden also happens to possess one of the most extravagant soundtracks I've ever heard from a non RPG, there are haunting vocal melodies that are almost operatic at times (sounding very much like Parasite Eve on the PSX). A real surprise this one.

Metal Black (1991)
Here we have another horizontal shoot 'em up and one that I have to admit...is an absolute revelation! Metal Black is home to some properly charming visuals, and especially worthy of note are the sumptuous backgrounds (which remind me somewhat of Square's Einhander) and the insane end of level bosses, which are absolutely enormous and so well drawn. One of my favourite aspects of this game though is the power up system. You collect small additions to your weapon capability throughout the stage, and this enables you to unleash a massive beam attack when required. Interestingly though, the bosses can also snare these power ups and launch a ridiculous over the top attack of their own, ensuring that these battles often get quite interesting.


Elevator Action Returns (1994)
Having been a huge fan of the Impossible Mission series years ago, the looks of this game appealed to me straight away, and although Elevator Action Returns is much heavier on death than stealth, it's still a thoroughly enjoyable romp. You choose from three (pretty cool) secret agents, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, the objective is then to travel to different buildings and disarm bombs that have been that are set to detonate...whilst also giving the good news to any bad guys that get in your way. The controls are glorious, helping the game to flow at just the right pace, the animation is top notch and as well as gloriously distinctive graphics, there are also an admirable number of anime style cut scenes along the way. As with all the best arcade games, you can have a friend tag along with you to add to the fun (and chaos).

Overall then this is a fine little collection of games from yesteryear...some are proper classics, some are not (in the slightest), but all at least have a distinct story to tell and all are worth at least five minutes of your time. I found myself remembering a time when high scores did actually matter and when video games were unmerciful in their difficulty. I used to play these kind of games throughout my childhood, but for years now I've been a massive fan of console and JRPGs, the Taito Legends collection made me realise just how rusty my gaming skills have actually become. With this in mind I think it's time to put Rudra No Hihou on the back burner for a while and attempt to rack up some respectable scores on the likes of Syvalion and Puzzle Bobble.

The one major gripe that I have with this collection is that Bubble Symphony (Bubble Bobble 2) was only available on the XBox version...that does stink a bit of money grabbing to me, but it's not enough to spoil the overall experience.

As a footnote for anyone who's interested, the full list of games contained in this fine collection are as follows.

• Alpine Ski
• Arabian Magic
• Balloon Bomber
• Bonze Adventure
• Cameltry
• Chack 'n' Pop
• Cleopatra Fortune
• Crazy Balloon
• Darius Gaiden
• Don Doko Don
• Dungeon Magic
• Elevator Action Returns
• Football Champ
• Front Line
• G Darius
• Gekirindan
• Grid Seeker
• Growl
• Gun & Frontier
• Insector X
• Kiki Kaikai
• Kuri Hinton
• Liquid Kids
• Lunar Rescue
• Metal Black
• Nastar
• Puchi Carat
• Puzzle Bobble 2
• Qix
• Raimais
• Ray Storm
• Space Invaders '95
• Space Invaders DX
• Super Space Invaders '91
• Syvalion
• The Fairyland Story
• The Legend of Kage
• Violence Fight
• Wild Western

So, what's the deal with 'Squenix'?

A marriage made in heaven? Only for the shareholders...and possibly those emo types

Ok, so this one is a bit of a rant.

During what I would consider to be gaming's 'golden age' (the 90's), there were many developers and publishers I greatly admired. The likes of Capcom, Konami, Namco and Rare etc, all treated the world to some pretty mind blowing titles. However, being a big RPG fan, there were two companies in particular that I held in the highest of regards: Square and Enix.

Purveyors of the two biggest RPG franchises in Japan (Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest), these two behemoths of the role-playing scene could seemingly do very little wrong. Indeed a brief foray into the back catalogues of both is like pouring over a who’s who of the iconic Japanese RPG, and a list that includes the likes of Chrono Trigger, Valkyrie Profile, Illusion of Gaia, Xenogears, Secret of Mana, Ogre Battle and Bahamut Lagoon...is a stark reminder of just how good things were.

A healthy rivalry between the two houses kept fans delirious, and the games fresh and innovative. Even differing approaches to developing games, fielded similarly dazzling results. Whereas Square would develop the majority of their titles in house, Enix would work closely with outsourced developers; these included the likes of Chun Soft (Dragon Quest), tri-Ace (Star Ocean) and, the mighty Quintet (Terranigma, ActRaiser, Soul Blazer). And even though their titles were often vastly different in execution, they were united by the fact they were usually of a very high quality.

As the 90's wore on, Square's determination to crack the US and European mainstream became more apparent. They eventually achieved this in 1997 with the resplendent landmark that was Final Fantasy VII; this was then followed up by an aggressive campaign, which saw the release of probably the biggest and finest batch of translated RPGs western gamers had ever seen (Square's 'Summer of Adventure' from 2000 for example).

The news was not however, all good, the culmination of this campaign was 2001's commercially suicidal 'Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within' CG movie (which I actually quite liked to be honest). The film cost a 'Shenmue-esque' amount of money to create and bombed horrifically. This mistake put a not insignificant dent in Square’s coffers, and put their film making exploits on a hiatus, until the release of 2005’s ‘Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children’.

Square’s blueprint was in complete contrast to Enix, who had employed a more 'Japan-centric' strategy throughout the 90's (and had actually decided to shut their North American offices between 1995 and 1999). However, big delays in 1999's flagship title; Dragon Quest VII meant the company's finances took a heavy beating, this, coupled with the purchase of Game Arts (of Grandia fame) also left Enix in pretty bad nick fiscally.

All this economic uncertainty eventually led to rumblings that a merger between the two companies could be on the cards. These rumblings eventually turned to roars and on 1st April 2003, the two companies did merge to form Square-Enix...which I have lovingly dubbed 'Squenix' (cute I know). Apparently this deal had been mooted since early 2001, seems abundantly clear to me though that it was mutual monetary woes that really forced them into bed together.

Being honest, this day should have been one of the greatest in the history of video gaming, and I for one was overjoyed at the time. Convinced that we would see some of the most monumental cross overs of talent since the immortalised Chrono Trigger 'Dream Team of Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball animator), Hinoboru Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy creator), Yuji Hori (Dragon Quest creator) and Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger soundtrack), I awaited the oncoming storm of brilliance with baited breath. It never really appeared though...

In the years that Square Enix has existed as a sole entity, they have undoubtedly released some great games on a variety of platforms, but for me it just seems like most of the magic has disappeared (especially in the past 3 years or so). In the home console market, the company appears to have become little more than a glorified publisher of mediocre offerings, aimed at a very Americanised market ('Nier' I’m looking at you). My other (and perhaps more serious) bone of contention is the business strategy that Squenix refers to as ‘polymorphic content’. This is explained (by them) as “getting all the juice possible from a jackpot”. I prefer to call it 'cash cowing', and it's a practice that pleases me not. I mean, just how many Final Fantasy/Dragon Quest remakes and add-ons can they actually throw at us?!

Having said all that, Squenix has still released some fantastic games, and the handheld world in particular has benefited immensely from this.

We saw a wonderful remake of Seiken Densetsu (aka Holy Sword Legend, aka Final Fantasy Adventure) called Sword of Mana on the Gameboy Advance. A gorgeous graphic and musical overhaul combined with some much-needed padding for the story really helped to bring this title alive. It was a wonderful reminder of just how great this terribly underrated little gem was (and still is).

The sublime 'The World Ends With You', which gives a modern day take on the action RPG genre, took everyone by surprise. With visuals supposedly inspired by the youth culture of Shibuya, it had the potential to be one of those cringe worthy attempts at making a game ‘trendy’. As it turned out, it was pretty refreshing, well executed and a genuine break from the castles, inns and mountains we often see in RPGs. It was also fitted the DS youth demographic perfectly and probably helped to introduce a whole raft of new gamers to the RPG genre.

Let us also not forget, the ever-graceful Final Fantasy Tactics series, which seems to have now found a perfect home, away from the glare of the brutally fought pixel power wars (PS3, Xbox 360). The series is now revelling in the cosseting RPG laden communities of the DS and PSP formats. It remains in my eyes, one of the few bright stars in the modern day Final Fantasy universe, with fantastic characters, story and battle system very rarely bettered (though much borrowed).

Straddling both the home and handheld console markets is Kingdom Hearts, a series that looked like nothing more than a cynical (albeit pretty) Disney tie in, has actually turned out to be rather special. It has that warmth to it that you don’t often experience these days, but will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has played earlier Square titles such as Legend of Mana or Dewprism. Imaginative use of well-known characters from both studios’ vaults makes it instantly appealing to younger players, but it also has an underlying challenge to it that will keep veteran gamers entertained in equal measure.

We then arrive at what was probably the finest title ever to grace the PS2…Dragon Quest VIII (Journey of the Cursed King); this glorious game somehow managed to capture everything that is or ever was good about Squenix. It boasted sumptuously cel-shaded visuals that surpassed even the likes of the gorgeous Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and, (dare I say it) the pioneering Jet Set Radio. It was easily one of the finest looking games of the entire 128-bit generation. Brilliant voice acting (for a change), fantastic story and 80 plus hours worth of game play make this one of the all time great RPG experiences…if you can, go and buy it immediately (seriously, it’s only about £10 these days)!!

Honourable mentions also go out to Dragon Quest IX (DS), Radiata Stories (PS2), Star Ocean: The Last Hope (PS3 and 360) and a brilliant (though slightly cynical) re-release of Chrono Trigger on the DS.

Once again though, I unfortunately find myself drawn to what are numerous and momentous disappointments and letdowns.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles…oh dear, a game that showed so much potential, and even the possibility of (finally) replacing the legendary Secret of Mana (in terms of being multi player action RPG at least). It actually ended up being nothing more than a cynical ploy from Squenix by attempting to appease Gamecube owners for the lack of a 'real' Final Fantasy title on the machine (PS2 owners were treated to Final Fantasy X). I can even imagine the board room discussions going on at the company at the time; "How can we extort some money out of those childish Nintendo owners? I know, a slow, sluggish and not very fun multi-player game will be just what they're waiting for" (well, kind of like that only more, you know, Japanese). This game even reached new levels of not being fun by requiring one member of your party to permanently carry an urn which was essential to your staying alive...seriously.

The shafting of Nintendo owners continued with Squenix publishing the unbelievably bad Major Minor's Majestic March. Now, for those (fortunate ones) who've not heard of this, it's a musical rhythm game from the creators of PaRappa the Rapper...sounds fine so far no? Well, as with many Wii games (this isn't just Squenix to be fair) it wasn't finished properly and as a result, the controls just don't work that well. Sure, it looks nice, and fans of PaRappa may actually be lured in...but honestly, you'd have more fun giving the money away instead.

This stream of awfulness doesn't just extend to Nintendo's fans, oh no, feast your eyes on this slew of mediocrity:

• Quantum of Solace (PS3, 360)
• The Last Remnant (360)
• Gyromancer (360, PC)
• Supreme Commander 2 (PC, 360)
• Just Cause 2 (PS3, 360)
• Mindjack (PS3, 360)

Now I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but if you contrast that little list with the likes of Chrono Cross, Front Mission, Tactics Ogre, Vagrant Story and Mystic Ark...it doesn't really stack up too well.

There also seems to have been an inexplicable shying away from really well received and much loved franchises in recent years. Still no new Chrono game, no continuation of Xenogears (I know Xenosaga is a spiritual successor but it's not a direct follow up), no real successor to Seiken Densetsu 3 and, come to think of it, still no (official) English translation. You'd have thought that whilst pillaging the back catalogue, they'd have found time to sort this one out.

Then we have the rather depressing (in my eyes at least) acquisition of Eidos. Now I do understand that for a company to be truly multinational and have global appeal, it needs to cater to all audiences...but I'm sorry, Eidos were never more than pushers of over hyped and underwhelming (Championship Manager apart) titles in the first place. Little has changed since they became part of the Squenix family either and at the risk of sounding like a bit of a zealot here, I've no interest in seeing the company plough money (and lots of it) into the likes of Tomb Raider and Deus EX.

And finally, onto the one that hurts the most...just what has happened to the once glorious and infallible Final Fantasy series?

Ignoring the multitude of spin-offs and remakes, the series that is beloved by probably anyone who has ever enjoyed a console RPG has been going down hill since it’s 10th (X) instalment ended. In my opinion, the trouble started with the quite greedy release of Final Fantasy X-II. A direct sequel to a Final Fantasy game is something we hadn't seen before and it seems to have been what kicked off this idea of 'polymorphic-cash cowing-robbery' that has since plagued the series.

We were then treated to instalment XI...an MMORPG (which should be depressing enough), this never really worked on anything other than a PC, so that's a good way to treat loyal console fans. In fact, in Britain, I don't think there was even a network to play the PS2 version on, great stuff.

That entry was kind of a blueprint for XII, which did have a lot going for it, but it felt strangely like a PC game to me that had been dumbed down for console use. For all it’s glamour, the game left me feeling cold and uninterested. Unusual aspects such as not being able to talk to all the NPC's added to this cold feeling too, as did the updated battle system, which again felt like something lifted from a real time PC game (I realise that one does make me sound like I'm actually tied to the 90's).

This brings us neatly on to XIII, which I'm actually slightly embarrassed to say I've never even played, such has been my recent apathy for the series. Even a glowing recommendation from one of my great friends who is an RPG and Final Fantasy connoisseur couldn't help muster any enthusiasm for it's overly emo (seriously, those haircuts annoy me), and just plain moody lead characters. As it's now standard practice, this game is also due to spawn a sequel which, will no doubt be full of funky haired but very emotionally retarded teenagers who can't decide whether love is more important saving the world.

Strangely though, that little tirade isn't what annoys me most about the Final Fantasy series these days, it's this remake-itis that seems have gripped the whole of Square Enix. They're at it with most of the big franchises, Dragon Quest, Star Ocean, SaGa, but with Final Fantasy, they've taken it to another level. What's properly baffling to me though is that they've stopped at number 5 (V). Now, I'm sure Squenix will have some elaborate excuse ready as to why this is the case but lets be honest about this, the real and only reason why VI and VII haven’t yet been remade is because the company is scared…scared of messing them up.

When it comes to Final Fantasy VI and VII, we're talking about the two most revered games in Square's history, adored by millions, and immortalised by critics worldwide. It doesn't take a genius to imagine the uproar it would cause if they got these two wrong...we'd probably be talking about some sort of insurrection at Squenix HQ in Shibuya. It's not good enough though, they need to grow some balls, don't remake Romancing SaGa 3 on the DS, in fact, don't even make Final Fantasy XIV, just plough that money made from woeful American games into remaking VI and VII. And if they can't muster that, then at least VII should be given a proper translation (long overdue as it is).

Overall, I can't help but feel sad when I think of Square Enix these days, and bitter at the fact that it makes me feel sad.

Maybe I'm being too harsh on them though, because the cold fact is that these are troubling times for Japanese video game companies on the world wide stage. Nintendo no longer commands the respect of the third parties that it once did, and Sega has dropped out the home console market completely (and will probably never get back in). In addition to this, recent years have seen a huge shift in the power base from Japan to America. We now have a western population that is much happier shelling out it’s hard earned on the likes of Halo, Call of Duty and FIFA rather than Mario and Sonic et al. Realism and (more specifically) war are now the order of the day, and these two styles of video game are not something that Japanese producers are historically good at or interested in. The likes of Dragon Quest, King of Fighters and Ridge Racer will always do well in Japan, but perhaps no longer on western shores.

That said, I’d be much happier having a Squenix that was worth a lot less in yen and was producing games of real quality than one that rakes it in from peddling shite...alas, this romantic notion will never catch on I fear.

So, please forgive me if these are the ramblings of a grumpy old man, unhappily pining for things to be the way they once were (indeed, maybe it is). It does though seem certain to me, that there has been a considerable change in the landscape at Square Enix. Originality, boldness and creativity have given way to greed, monotony, caution and perhaps desperation. It is blindingly clear in my eyes that this marriage is one of convenience rather than love...and in these eyes that is what’s known as a sham.

If only I'd been present when they asked "if anyone objects to this union, let him speak now"...