What do the games Chrono Cross, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and Perfect Dark all have in common? These three amazing games were all reviewed back in 2000, but they were NOT that year's best games. At least, not according to NEXT Generation magazine, who gave all three of these undisputed classics four stars out of five. As crazy as it sounds, NEXT Generation have 24 different games a higher score than Jet Set Radio. I'm talking about the perfect 5-star rating, and today we're going through all of these reviews to see what makes them worthy of this coveted prize. This is NEXT Generation's Five-Star Reviews, and these are the 24 best games of 2000.
Age of Wonders (PC)
#1
“Similar in many ways to games like Master of Magic, Warlords and New World Computing's Heroes series, Age of Wonders doesn't break a lot of new ground in fantasy turn-based gaming, but it does bring the best elements from all these games together in one truly amazing package. Age of Wonders stands tall as one of the best games of the year. So, unless you're big on self-deprivation, go out and purchase this right now!”
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (PC)
#2
“Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn reveals its primary conflict in the first minutes of gameplay and then offers literally hundreds of hours of adventure without losing that initial tension. Some RPGs achieve length by repeating a few good elements indefinitely. Baldur's Gate 2 thrives on variety. There are quests, but very few leave you feeling like a super-heroic mouse on a treadmill. Most encounters in the game allow for multiple solutions, and many can be pursued or left alone, at your discretion. Life-changing decisions are peppered throughout, enabling you to choose a development path for the character and experience the consequences. More than simply a passing, enjoyable distraction, Baldur's Gate 2 is an experience worth savoring.”
Crash Team Racing (PlayStation)
#3
“The simple fact is: kart racing games haven't really progressed at all since Miyamoto released Mario Kart on Super NES. Until now. This looks like a traditional kart game, but Naughty Dog has simultaneously stood the genre on its head and improved it immensely. Unlike other kart games, where staying on the track is everything and one screw-up will cost you the race, in CTR staying on the track is easy, and maintaining a constant stream of turbos is essential to victory. This is a stunning achievement: It looks great, it advances the genre by changing (and we'd argue improving) the challenge, and it's about the best four-player game on PlayStation. Oh yeah, and the AI doesn't cheat.”
Crimson Skies (PC)
#4
“Crimson Skies is the flight sim for people who hate flight sims. Instead of endless micromanagement and the constant battle against controls that are the hallmarks of most flight games, Crimson Skies is more along the lines of an action game that has accidentally found itself in the air. The flight model is almost apologetic about gravity: “Oops, did you hit the ground at 200 miles an hour? Sorry about that – let me bounce you back into the air with minimal damage.” As strange as this sounds, it works beautifully. You really don't ever have to worry about controls outside of joystick and throttle, since these planes are basically bicycles with wings. Crimson Skies is a breath of fresh air: Fun, fantastic and different.”
Dead or Alive 2 (Dreamcast & PlayStation 2)
#5
“Dead or Alive introduced game players to a whole new form of motion sickness. This 3D fighter, which saw action on PlayStation, offered some decent fighting, solid graphics and interesting characters, but people came in droves to see the bouncing breasts. Each woman in the game, to put it mildly, was endowed with assets far beyond those of mortal women. For the sequel, Tecmo's tamed the exaggeratedly bouncy behemoths and concentrated instead on rock-solid gameplay, responsive controls, a series of wonderful fighting arenas, and graphics that rival those of the Dreamcast's other uberfighter, SoulCalibur. You'd have to be dead and buried to not enjoy Dead or Alive 2.”
Deus Ex (PC)
#6
“Every once in a while, a game comes along that restores the faith of even the most jaded among us. And though in some ways it runs over the territory first explored by System Shock 1 and 2, Dues Ex is exactly that kind of game. Put simply, this is the complete package. The story is involving, the dialog smartly written, and the game world itself is fully interactive and truly feels alive, in often startling ways. This is hands-down one of the best PC games ever made. Stop reading and go get yours now.”
Diablo II (PC)
#7
“First, go buy a copy of this game. We'll wait. Just as it was with the original, you don't need to read a review to know how good Diablo II is. Of course, some of you skeptics may still require convincing. You get a world that's about four times larger than the original, so bet on around 30 to 40 hours of role-playing from start to finish. Plus, you can play with as many as seven of your friends on Battle net or over a LAN. As we go to press, Battle net is going through some serious growing pains, but our guess is that it'll be much more stable by the time you read this review. Despite this, since you can play your open multiplayer character in single-player mode if the servers are ever down, you'll still be able to build up your character offline. Diablo II is a must-have PC title. That's all there is to it.”
Final Fantasy IX (PlayStation)
#8
“What in particular makes Final Fantasy games so good? Perhaps the storylines? Or the graphics? Or maybe the gameplay? In fact, it's all of these, and there's no denying that Square has created something akin to a well-oiled machine as it moves into this ninth installment of the series. The mature characters and futuristic, romance-heavy plots of the last two Final Fantasy titles has been swapped for medieval-esque, super-deformed characters and a more whimsical storyline. There's an undeniable polish to everything seen and unseen in Final Fantasy IX. From the mind-numbing amount of mini-games and sub-missions and the inclusion of new Active Time Events to the ragtag bunch of memorable characters in your party, you're given so much to do and see that it's nearly impossible to put the controller down. If this is the “final” Final Fasntasy on PlayStation, it's clear that Square saved the best for last.”
Freespace 2 (PC)
#9
“With Freespace: The Great War, Volition showed it was more than ready to take on the Wing Commander series with a game that featured incredible graphics, a great storyline and some of the est action anywhere. And you'll be glad to know that this time around Volition has upped the ante even more and built the best-playing and looking space combat game ever. Attention has been paid to every single detail, and there is no weak link, from the storyline to the awesome sound to the control to the graphics. In fact, we'd have to say that the game's only quirk is its huge install size (over one gig).”
Madden NFL 2001 (PlayStation 2)
#10
“If you were a video game console retailer, and you wanted to sell a ton of PlayStation 2s this holiday season, you'd be wise to set up a few demo screens running Madden NFL 2001. But if you really wanted to be a savvy businessperson, you would set up a kiosk or two and let people try the game out for themselves. Follow this advice and we're betting you would run out of units long before you'd run out of credit-card-waving customers eager to get their hands on what is the greatest video football game in existence. If you're of the belief that all reviews must point out something negative about a game, you're going to be disappointed here. Madden NFL 2001 has superb gameplay, even better graphics and enough substance to make you forget all those other, weak launch titles.”
NFL 2K1 (Dreamcast)
#11
“When NFL 2K was released as part of the initial Dreamcast lineup, nearly every print and online pulication anointed it as the greatest sports game ever made. We here at Next Gen, though, are a bit harder to please. While we appreciated the sheer beauty of the game and saw glimpses of greatness, the fact that the running game was poorly implemented prevented us from giving the game our highest reward. What a difference a year can make. We are happy to repot that NFL 2K1 is now worthy of our full praise. The running and blocking code has been completely overhauled, resulting in one of the most intense, action-packed games of football we've ever seen. NFL 2K1 is a great playing game, both online and off, and a significant advance over last year's version.”
Planescape: Torment (PC)
#12
“If you've ever woken up after a night of overindulgence with a staggering headache and little or no memory of how you got that way, then you're sure to feel a twinge of sympathy for the main protagonist of Planetscape: Torment during the bleak opening CG sequence. After that brilliant opening, however, thing just keep getting better and better, until Planetscape establishes itself as one of the best RPGs of the year. With quality writing that draws you into a world filled with dreams that have substance, characters that have more personality than anything Square has offered, and some of the most inventive environments and quests we've ever seen, Torment offers the best RPG gameplay anyone can find on store shelves, hands down.”
Quake III: Arena (PC)
#13
“Quake III is a technological behemoth: An engine that can trample over most others without even blinking. Gorgeous lighting, curved surfaces, and hair-trigger controls are all pieces of what is essentially the world's most optimized PC game platform. As the old adage goes, however, it's not the tool, but what you do with it (or something like that). That brings us down to the retail version of Quake III Arena – a game that has had PC owners slavering for the last two years. It's now at a store near you, waiting eagerly to e adopted into a loving home. Don't be fooled, though: Quake III Arena isn't for everybody. This time around, Id has decided to forego the single-player game and instead develop for an all-multiplayer audience. The bottom line is that it has the best deathmatch yet. Period. End of story. If you want single-player or a storyline, buy Half-Life. If you want great deathmatch and near infinite expandability, Quake III is the best in the business.”
Resident Evil – Code: Veronica (Dreamcast)
#14
“No game on Dreamcast has been more anticipated than Capcom's fourth installment in the Resident Evil series. With such massive hype preceding it, you'd think that it would be hard for the game to live up to its own press. And perhaps, normally, that would be the case – unless the game is as truly amazing as Code Veronica actually is. The game is scary, action-packed, masterfully told and beautifully realized. Have we also mentioned that it's incredibly long? This is the best game yet for the Dreamcast – in fact, it's one of the best games we've seen in the past couple of years.”
Samba De Amigo (Dreamcast)
#15
“Rhythm-action games may never take off here in the States, but that hasn't stopped Japan from constant innovation in this highly playable subgenre. The latest in the quirky gameplay comes in the form of two maracas you plug into your console and shake according to the rhythm of the music and patterns on the screen. It's simple, it's wonderfully abstract, and it's incredibly fun. The cost is the sticking point. An import copy and one set of maracas typically cost around $260 – and the game is much more fun when two players each have their own set. We expect the game to come out in the U.S. at a third of that price, but we're pondering how accessible such a pricey game will be to the mass market it will clearly enthrall.”
San Francisco Rush 2049 (Dreamcast)
#16
“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the latest entry into the “Series That Just Keep Getting Better” hall of fame: San Francisco Rush. The new Rush 2049 takes everything that was great about previous Rush games and ups the ante across the board. There are more tracks and more wild shortcuts. The cars can jump even farther, and the Stunt mode is, as always, a complete blast. Simply put, it's great stuff. It's a new addition to the game itself, however, that really pushes this one over the top. Rush has always been a great multiplayer experience, but 2049 throws in a new Combat mode that is at once simple, balanced and utterly addictive, putting more elaborate car combat games like Twisted Metal or Vigilante 8 to shame. This alone is worth the price of admission and will perk up just about any party.”
Sega GT (Dreamcast)
#17
“Sega GT is Sega's clear answer to Sony's Gran Turismo. It features the same bevy of fast Japanese cars, the same kind of street-based racetracks and the same shiny, highly buffed attention to detail. There are no complaints about the graphics. The cars eschew the brassy glare of Gran Turismo for a less shiny, more realistic look, and the tracks and special effects are beyond compare. Reviewing this seems to come down to making comparisons with Gran Turismo, and that's unfortunate, because on its own merits, Sega GT is stunning.”
Shenmue (Dreamcast)
#18
“By now you're probably aware that Shenmue is game maestro Yu Suzuki's magnum opus. Years (and millions upon millions of yen) in the making, it's a sprawling, intricately detailed combination of action and adventure, casting you in the role of martial arts student Ryo Hazuki. This is the most fully realized virtual world ever created. Every drawer and cabinet is Ryo's house can be opened and examined – even the paintings can be taken down off the walls. In the final analysis, Shenmue stands out as a phenomenal achievement. Few titles, perhaps none, have pulled off its blend of gameplay styles with such panache, and certainly no other game has ever offered such a rock-solid, completely realized, fully populated world. This will remain a high water mark for years.”
SSX (PlayStation 2)
#19
“Throughout this year there's been plenty of talk about the best game lineup for the U.S. launch of PS2. Gran Turismo 2000 was lauded and praised, as were Dark Cloud and Madden 2001. What nobody expected was that SSX, the under-hyped snowboarding game from EA that has gone through so many complete revisions, would break out and become the hands-down best game of launch. It is. Bringing the feel of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater together with the best parts of Road Rash and setting them all against the most magnificent levels ever to grace a snowboarding game, SSX is the ultimate example of a console game done right.”
SWAT 3: Close Quarter Battle (PC)
#20
“With SWAT 3, Sierra has done something that Red Storm singularly failed to do: Take a long, hard look at what made Rainbow Six a great game and improved upon it. Swat 3 takes the genre to another level. And the reason can be summed up in a single expression: AI. Your teammates won't shoot you. They won't block you in. They clear rooms on their own, slicing the pie. They will return fire when fired upon. They can take down terrorists and secure hostages unaided. And then they'll report back to you and tell you what they've done. In short, watching your element team go to work in Swat 3 is a bloody marvel. Red Storm may play the realism ticket, but Sierra is the one to have nailed it.”
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (Dreamcast & Nintendo 64)
#21
“For those who have been under a rock, Hawk is the best skateboarding game ever produced. You get to run Tony or some of his skateboarding cronies through a series of masterfully designed tracks and environments, performing mad tricks and stunts in an attempt to score big points. The Dreamcast version has been beefed up to include more potent graphics than its predecessors. Everything else, including the blaring, hammering soundtrack and a challenging two-player mode, remains intact. Hawk soars, end of story.”
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (PlayStation)
#22
“Tony Hawk is back in the sky life again. This sequel to the skateboarding epic Tony Hawk's Pro Skater returns the soaring trickman to video game glory. Ah, all is right with the world. No one will ever complain that Activision sought to rest on its laurels. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 even outdoes the original in many ways, filling its plate with plenty of new features. The game offers new skaters, new parks, new maneuvers, a new create a park option and more. Although it seems a tad mercenary to have Hawk and comrades collect bundles of money, brilliant level design enables you to exercise maximum trick creativity, and the quest for the best trick ever will keep the masses yearning for the blue yonder. Like the original, this one is a must-have.”
Ultimate Fighting Championship (Dreamcast)
#23
“Crave Entertainment has done a splendid job bringing the UFC to Dreamcast with a game whose true beauty is that it's so unlike any fighting game that's ever come before. Completely lifelike and based scrupulously on the real cage-fighting of the UFC, this may be the first ever fighting game to present fighting as it REALLY looks. There are no spin kicks, cartwheels or forward flips. Most fights actually end up on the ground, where a grappling match develops. UFC is one of the best fighting games of all time, and by far the most-true to life. It will thoroughly satisfy anyone interested in mano-a-mano combat games.”
Virtua Tennis (Dreamcast)
#24
“Despite slightly miss-stepping with NHL 2K and Virtua Soccer, Sega has done an incredible jo supporting sports enthusiasts with beautiful and highly playable renditions of everything from football to fishing. Virtua Tennis is much closer to the later in terms of underground popularity, but it still provides a spectacular experience for all gamers – not just fans of the sport. While it's missing a few goodies (why are there no female players or online play?), Virtua Tennis is the most entertaining tennis game since the Super Nintendo days and one of the best Dreamcast games this year.”
