F-ZERO GX
© 2003 Nintendo

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Start of School Means Good Games?

I know I've been bitching all summer about the lack of quality videogaming. Finally I have a ton of games worth playing. This week my words were shoved into my mouth with FINAL FANTASY TACTICS ADVANCE, SOUL CALIBUR II and F-ZERO GX, and MADDEN came out last week with its brand new owner mode. Suddenly I'm buried in good games. Did I mention I have JAK II, RATCHET II and FINAL FANTASY XI builds?

So Summer has managed to redeem itself. Let me tell you a bit about each of the titles you should be playing right now. First up is SOUL CALIBUR II. I gave the game an A yesterday, mainly because it's an awesome fighter. Even though it is mostly like the game you played four years ago on Dreamcast, it's still an awesome fighter.

Next up is F-ZERO GX. Developed by Sega's Amusement Vision for Nintendo, the game is very much an arcade racer. This isn't a bad thing at all as there is tons to unlock and the gameplay is very much like that of the previous F-ZERO games. The biggest difference here is that the game screams. It's absolutely amazing how fast it moves. The first time I played it I was taken aback, and in many ways I still am.

Finally, FINAL FANTASY TACTICS ADVANCE will suck your Game Boy Advance's battery life. Deep gameplay that's extra

F-ZERO GX

© 2003 Nintendo

Of course, I'm sure plenty of you are occupied with MADDEN at the moment as well. So write in and let us know what's in your console, or what you want to be in your console. E-mail us at GamersThumb@cinescape.com and we'll post some responses next week

GAMERS ANSWER

Last week we talked about subscription fees for games. Here's what you had to say:

Howdy:

I think the biggest issue with on-line gaming subscription fees isn't the concept that there is a fee, it is simply the amount they are asking. A cable bill with digital cable, high speed internet and HBO looks more like a car payment, not to mention if you have Tivo, digital radio, a subscription to Netflix, Xbox Live or anything else. Adding another fifteen bucks to everybody's already bloated monthly entertainment bills is something a consumer should really think about.

STAR WARS GALAXIES' first major monthly update showed serious promise, but if they don't keep adding in serious updates, and WORLD OF WARCRAFT comes out at eight to ten bucks a month, they could be looking at a serious hemorrhage of players. If you play as a Rebel in the game, you'll be enjoying making the half hour walk from the closest shuttleport to the rebel base over and over. When I play the game for two hours and most of that time is a slow jog from place to place, it makes me really question paying the monthly fee. If I'm not riding an animal or driving a swoop by mid-October, I'm not playing any more.

-Dr. Edd Schneider

I feel that if I have to pay $50 - $55 buck for a game then I shouldn't have to pay to play it. If they want to charge me for playing then give me the game for free.

-Gary in VA

TIDBITS

STAR WARS GALAXIES has 275,000 registered users... SAVAGE has gone gold... the Dreamcast PHANTASY STAR ONLINE servers will be shut down on

SAVAGE: BATTLE FOR NEWERTH

© 2003 iGames

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Gamers' Thumb is our weekly Video Game column.