| Horror junkie that I am, I started playing | | | | iterations is released, are just some of the |
| Tecmo's Fatal Frame II for the Playstation 2 | | | | many video games that are blurring the line |
| this morning. | | | | between cinema and gaming as well as |
| | | | reinterpreting for the new millennium what |
| Knowing the Japanese's mastery of horror, I | | | | story telling should be about. |
| was expecting a thrill ride with this game... | | | | |
| and I was not disappointed. Fatal Frame II is | | | | I don't know what the Japanese videogame |
| one of the creepiest games that I have every | | | | creators' inspirations are that make them |
| played. Yes, the Americans can also make good | | | | continually push the boundaries of creativity |
| horror games (like The Suffering, Clive | | | | in making video games. Every time someone |
| Barker's Undying, Doom) but when it comes to | | | | from another country is proclaimed to have |
| consistency of quality, white-knuckle horror, | | | | the edge, the Japanese just quietly release a |
| and an almost cinematic pacing I doff my hat | | | | slew games that are so jaw-dropping in its |
| off to the Japanese. They have really got the | | | | ingenuity, level of immersion, and quality |
| formula right. | | | | that just leaves its competitors biting |
| | | | digital dust. |
| In fact, almost all the games that come from | | | | |
| Japan boast of the kind of mastery of | | | | Nintendo has officially pulled the plug on |
| atmosphere and storytelling that always keeps | | | | GameCube. Say bye bye to the big purple box. |
| me coming back for more. Games like Hideo | | | | Why was it discontinued? Well, Nintendo's |
| Kojima's Metal Gear Solid series (the first | | | | other babies are just simply doing better |
| PlayStation title of which is considered as | | | | than GameCube and games are better too in the |
| one of the most cinematic and innovative | | | | other consoles - not to say that GameCube has |
| games of all time), Shigeru Miyamoto's Legend | | | | bad games, in fact some of their games are |
| of Zelda, the slew of Final Fantasy games | | | | real good to play. So it's not suprising that |
| that virtually define the limits of in-game | | | | GameCube's sales have been dwindling for a |
| immersion every time one of the latest | | | | while now. |