Electronic Gaming Monthly's Best Reviewed Games of 2001

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

#10

I think it's safe to say that Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 was one of the most anticipated sequels of 2001. Electronic Gaming Monthly had not only given the previous installment a perfect 10 out of 10, but they also named it the 17th best game of all time. That's a lot for this third game to live up to, so it probably won't surprise anybody to learn that Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 didn't leave quite as big of an impact as its predecessor. Sure, it still managed to make the top 10 list with an average of 9.3, but when we look at EGM's scores, it's clear that the series peaked at number two.

Che does a good job of summing up the problem with this sequel: "You may just have to convince yourself a little harder if you anticipate Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 to be as revolutionary as its older siblings. Unlike the manuals in Pro Skater 2, there isn't just one key feature bogarting center stage. THPS3 is the sum of all its excellent new parts." He complained that part 3 breaks little new ground and drops half a point off the score. Gary gave the lowest score and raved about the online play and interactive levels. "Causing earthquakes to create new trick lines and knocking guys into vats of water are a hoot." His only problem was the difficulty, especially when it came to trick competitions. While not as groundbreaking as part 2, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater still ollies onto the top ten list with an impressive average of 9.3 out of 10.

Paper Mario

#9

By 2001, the writing was on the wall for the Nintendo 64. There weren't a lot of big games left to go before the GameCube's release and reviews had dwindled from 86 in 1999 to 50 in 2000 to only 23 in 2001. The good news for Nintendo 64 loyalists is that the quirky role-playing game Paper Mario managed to zoom past Banjo-Tooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day to be the only 64-bit game to crack Electronic Gaming Monthly's best reviewed games of 2001.

Despite the selection of N64 games drying up, Paper Mario managed to win the Game of the Month prize in EGM's March 2001 issue. Greg called it "simply awesome." "The game's combination of stylized, flat-as-paper characters and 3D worlds is really the perfect way to deliver the high-tech look RPG fans have grown accustomed to while retaining the cool cartoony qualities Mario fans have grown to love." Mark offers this piece of advice: "Ignore the name on the box -- this is Mario RPG 2, and it lives up to the first game both in content and quality." He was blown away by the badges, secrets, optional side-quests, mini-games and overall presentation. With everybody falling in love with the look and gameplay, Paper Mario manages to average a paper-thin 9.3 out of 10.

Skies of Arcadia

#8

Three years after begging its readers to buy Panzer Dragoon Saga as quickly as possible, Electronic Gaming Monthly is back to do the same thing with another little-played Sega cult classic -- Skies of Arcadia. People didn't listen, but at least this Dreamcast RPG found a second life on the GameCube. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, because EGM has a lot to say about this pirate-themed adventure game.

"Not since Panzer Dragoon Saga has Sega hosted such an engaging RPG on one of its platforms," starts Jonathan. "Combining some of the best features from old and new game influences, Skies of Arcadia even outshines some of Square's best efforts at times." Milkman called it "easily the best-looking RPG yet" and raved about the unique battle system, tight-knight group of characters, wonderful storyline, great spell effects, lots of secrets to find, an epic, melodramatic quest and the best airborne battles since, well, you know who. After a year dominated by Square games, it's great to see unique role-playing games from both Sega and Nintendo make their way onto the best reviewed list. Skies of Arcadia flies high with an average score of 9.3 out of 10.

Madden NFL 2002

#7

After getting sacked by NFL 2K1 last year, Madden returns to the top 10 with a chip on his shoulder. With multiple football games competing for the same space and forcing each other to innovate, this truly was a great time to be a fan of the gridiron. I like the way Dean puts it at the start of his review: "Rather than a simple roster upgrade, Tiburon actually did something that improves Madden in a useful way: They made it faster."

"Madden 2002 is chock-full of amazement," explains Dan Leahy. "I can't begin to describe the number of replays which leave me slackjawed due to the astounding AI." He was also impressed by the endless list of options and features, something you didn't see in other NFL games. Kraig had a slightly less convincing reason to give the game high marks: "I've always wanted a football game that lets me choose the stripes on my player's socks, and thanks to Madden, my dreams have come true. Hell, I can even color them flaming pink." He also praised the improved gameplay, graphics, animation and speed, making it seventh best reviewed game of 2001 with an average of 9.3 out of 10.

Colin McRae Rally 2.0

#6

If you've been following our look at Electronic Gaming Monthly's worst reviewed series, then you may have noticed that the magazine has been forgoing the usual multi-person review crew on a lot of the truly bad games. But it's not just the stinkers that get a single-person review, but also the titles released on last-generation hardware, like the original PlayStation. That usually means that one of the editors gives a middling score to a so-so game, but there was a game in 2001 that managed to break through. That game was Colin McRae Rally 2.0.

"Jeez, I wasn't ready for this," starts John with his solo review. "The original Colin McRae Rally was a pretty fantastic game and certainly relieved itself upon its competition from a great height, but nothing prepared me for how much better the sequel would turn out to be." I think I'm just going to skip past the obvious pissing joke and point out that John concluded that Colin McRae 2 "may well be one of the finest racers on the PlayStation." I'm not going to lie, I kind of wish I knew where the other editors stood on this game, but in the end the classic Codemasters racer scores a 9.5 out of 10.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages & The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (Tie)

#5 & #4

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages was not only the last hurrah for 8-bit Link, but also the final gasps of life for the Game Boy Color. With Nintendo moving all of their portable resources to the just-released Game Boy Advance, many looked at these Capcom-developed adventures as a swan song to a beloved handheld. EGM reviewed Seasons and Ages in the same issue, giving both identical scores. Everybody agreed that this was the perfect way to say goodbye to the Game Boy.

"Two new awesome Zelda games in one month? Hallelujah!" shouts Mark in his Seasons review. "Old school Zelda fans will love the familiar gameplay and all the other references to the earlier games." Johnathan R loved both games, but preferred Ages because of the "thought-provoking puzzles and SNES Zelda-esque world design." Chris agreed and said that "it's amazing when one Zelda game makes it out every two years -- it's a dang miracle that two old-school Zelda games were released on the same day." He also loved the ring system, seeds, mini-games and time travel, ultimately giving it a 10. With all three editors giving high marks across the board, both Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons averaged the same score of 9.5 out of 10.

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

#3

One thing that I love about 2001 is how pretty much every system had something to celebrate. For the first time ever, one of Electronic Gaming Monthly's top ten lists features six different game consoles, including the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Game Boy, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64 and now the Game Boy Advance. Of the nineteen launch games reviewed by EGM, it was Castlevania: Circle of the Moon that topped the list, and by quite a large margin. The editors were desperate to play another adventure in the vein of Symphony of the Night, and Circle of the Moon did not disappoint.

Mark puts it perfectly: "As far as I'm concerned, this is the best reason to own a GBA so far. Graphically it's a bit dark and hard to see, but with a good light source you can fully appreciate the crisp and very detailed visuals." Jonathan called it a "masterpiece of 2D gaming." "Konami's taken the best parts of Symphony of the Night and Dracula X, merged them on the Game Boy Advance, and added a metric ton of new abilities via a card-collection system." Che also loved the game, going as far as to give it a perfect 10 and concluding that it's "probably the best handheld title, outside of Tetris, that I've played." To be fair, there were complaints about a weak story and repetitive action, but Castlevania: Circle of the Moon averages a symphonic 9.5 out of 10.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

#2

We've seen plenty of sequels make their way onto Electronic Gaming Monthly's best reviewed lists, but it's rare to talk about the same game two years in a row. That's exactly what happened when EGM reviewed the Dreamcast port of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 just two months after giving the PlayStation version a perfect 10. Perhaps that explains why they gave it an equally high score. This was almost a full year before they would get their hands on part 3, so the shine of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 hadn't yet rubbed off, and being able to play a much better looking version was impossible to resist.

Dean was tasked with writing the only review and called it a "no-brainer buy." "Beyond the stuff you would expect to be different like more pros, parks and music -- Neversoft has cooked up some truly innovative features for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. By balancing on two wheels between tricks, the "manual" feature lets you link 'em up like a madman." In other words, EGM basically just repeats what they said two issues ago. They quickly touch on the Dreamcast's improved draw distance and the more detailed levels, but admit that "it's basically the same -- but that's good enough." Considering the quick turnaround between versions, I have to agree. This Dreamcast port manages to earn a score of 10 out of 10, making it the second year in a row that Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 has been named the second best reviewed game of the year. I doubt we'll ever see that again.

Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec

#1

By 2001, Gran Turismo had proven to not only be a formidable franchise for Sony, but a racing game that changed the genre forever. Gone were the days when a publisher could release a single-player racer with only a few tracks, because a game like Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec came with 19 courses, nearly two-hundred cars and more customization than you'll ever need. This was Sony showing what the PlayStation 2 could do, and the EGM editors ate it up. With no Soul Calibur or Metal Gear Solid games to worry about, Gran Turismo finally earned its spot at the top of a best reviewed list.

Greg confesses in his review that A-Spec had taken over his entire life. "I think my race count is up to well over 400 in simulation mode right now, and I still come back for more." He loved the graphics, the variety and learning the ins and outs of driving every car. Jonathan agreed, saying that "GT3 will exceed most any expectations you could have. It's the most realistic racing experience around, and that includes all the frustrations of having a weak car or getting nudged by aggressive competitors -- it's GT3's style." Che also loved Gran Turismo 3, but was quick to note that his 10 rating doesn't mean it's perfect. He complained that the AI was weak and will force you off the road in pursuit of its pre-scripted race line." That minor complaint wasn't enough to make him drop the score even half a point, which means that with an average of 10 out of 10, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec is Electronic Gaming Monthly's best reviewed game of 2001.