Untouchable 2000s Games Nobody Remembers

It’s difficult for many of us to accept that the year 2000 is now over a quarter of a century ago. After all, those of a certain age reminisce all the time about the shows they used to watch and the fantastic games they used to play during the 2000s. As is inevitably the case, though, some of the greatest games of the era have been tragically forgotten.

From an incredibly accomplished Buffy the Vampire Slayer video game adaptation to one of Final Fantasy‘s best and most underappreciated spin-offs, let’s give these lost 2000s classics the respect they deserve.

8

Mario Artist — Polygon Studio (2000)

Make 3D Art With Mario

Nintendo has a long history of creating unique experiences. From edutainment titles like 1993’s Mario Is Missing! to the wonderful oddity of Labo, you can never be quite sure what the Japanese giant is going to release next. In the year 2000, we saw what is perhaps still one of Nintendo’s most peculiar creations: Mario Artist: Polygon Studio. Part of the wider range of Mario Artist releases, It brought compatibility with sorely-underused accessories like the 64DD and mouse to the N64 system, albeit only in Japan, and a valuable use case for them beyond “that’s kind of cool” gimmicks.

The concept is all about creating 3D polygonal art, in modes that allowed either basic manipulation of pre-provided shapes as a sort of introduction to the idea or more advanced editing and creation of shapes. These could be individual shapes the player crafts into a whole, or they could start with a model of Mario for instance and edit from there. It’s a novelty, for certain, but those who learned the intricacies of it all could spend hours at a time with this intriguing kit. The Polygon Studio software is just one part of the wider Mario Artist set, which also included the likes of Paint Studio. There really hasn’t been anything quite like it since, though Goro Abe stated in a Nintendo R&D1 interview (via Kikizo Archives) that the frantic minigames available in one mode would ultimately lead to WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames, the first entry in that series, which released three years later.

7

Ecks Vs. Sever – 2001

A Surprisingly Accomplished FPS That Defied The Odds

Now, the Game Boy Advance isn’t exactly the console you’d think of first when it comes to the FPS genre. Still, it did have its share of impressive shooters. The legendary Doom, for instance, was ported to the handheld in 2001, and at the time, it was quite the sight to behold it running on the system. Even more impressive than that, though, is when a video game adaptation of a movie (or adaptation of a movie’s concept at least) turns out to be incredibly solid. Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever is a movie so infamous that it holds a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score of 0%, but the secret agent versus secret agent concept made for a great GBA FPS.

There’s a bit of a ‘dull gray corridor’ excess in the level design, and the story is told primarily just told through text boxes between levels, but the weapons feel quite satisfying to use and there’s a futuristic tension about the game that really gives it a feel of something like N64 classic GoldenEye 007. There’s even a dual campaign of sorts, a la Resident Evil 2, in which either former FBI agent Ecks or NSA operative Sever play through a slightly different series of missions. A game that was surprisingly accomplished for its time, and still quite enjoyable to play through.

6

Buffy The Vampire Slayer – 2002

The Xbox Classic Nobody Expected

If there’s one thing that any games console prizes, it’s a great exclusive. These are the titles that tend to sway purchase decisions, after all, and Halo: Combat Evolved and its celebrated sequel were two of the greatest exclusives for the original Xbox. Among the system’s other excellent exclusive games, however, is something completely out of left field: a Buffy the Vampire Slayer brawler. Granted, it’s not quite on all-timer level, and its combat isn’t the deepest or most varied, but it’s impactful, satisfying, and quite the fast-paced challenge in places.

This The Collective-developed title embraces the source material to no end, with a plot that revolves around a revived Master, the Dreamers, and Laibach’s scheme to (predictably) doom the world. From the Scooby Gang to atmospheric locations like Angel’s home and the series’ patented mystical relics (the Deglon Sphere in this case), it includes almost everything that fans of this Sunnydale-set adventure could want. Superb visuals for its time and great voice acting (provided largely by the show’s cast members themselves except for the lead role) make the title a blast for series fans and a solid action title in its own right.

5

Zoo Keeper – 2003

One of the Most Adorable Puzzlers Ever

This incarnation of Zoo Keeper originally released in Japan in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance, though it wouldn’t arrive in North America (on Nintendo DS) until 2005. This was essentially the definitive version, though, because stylus control absolutely makes the frantic animal-matching gameplay come alive. As is usually the case with puzzle games, the concept is simple: A zoo’s animals have “started a riot,” according to the game’s intro, because its curator didn’t treat them well enough. As a keeper, the player’s role is to capture animals, by moving them around on the board to create rows or columns of matching ones.

It’s intuitive enough for players to immediately grasp what they need to do, and fun to return to again and again in pursuit of high scores. More than that, a generous crop of game modes help prevent the game from getting stale. There’s a simple rush to score as much as you can in six minutes, a challenge mode with stages of differing objectives, and other engaging twists on the formula.

4

Konami Krazy Racers – 2001

For Those Who Never Thought They’d See Castlevania’s Dracula In A Kart Racer

It takes something truly special to measure up against Mario Kart in the kart racing sphere. More recently, both Kirby Air Riders and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds have offered more than ample alternatives to Mario Kart World, and back in the Game Boy Advance era, Mario had competition too. 2001’s Konami Krazy Racers is a bright and colorful genre entry that sets solid racing mechanics against a backdrop that celebrates Konami’s pedigree in the industry. Castlevania‘s very own Dracula, Metal Gear’s Gray Fox, and Pastel from TwinBee are among the competitors, and it all follows the rather standard formula of grand prix contests, single races and time trials that you’d expect.

There’s more to the package than just that, though, with the player sequentially unlocking racing licenses in order to ‘qualify’ to play more of the game’s content. Silly multiplayer minigames like chicken also vary things up, as does a power meter for items found on the courses. Karts do feel quite ‘floaty’ with their handling, which takes some getting used to, but this is a great entry in the genre nonetheless, and one that so many of us have fond memories of.

3

Big Bang Mini – 2009

Baby, You’re Several Fireworks, Come And Show Them How Many Points You’re Worth

Arriving at the tail-end of the 2000s, Big Bang Mini is one of those games that those who have played it tend to have loved, but others often won’t have even heard of. It’s a shoot ’em up that, like a lot of Nintendo DS’s best titles, actually used the dual-screen setup in a clever way. You can manipulate your craft and fire your shots directly using the stylus, essential to avoid the torrent of projectiles coming your way and clear out foes alike. It’s not a game that rewards haphazard blasting of your guns (or in this case fireworks), but one that gives each launch tremendous impact. Bursts of bright neon light illuminate each attack, emanate from your opponents, and highlight the background. Most importantly, if you don’t hit an enemy with a firework, the remnants will be coming back down on the lower screen as another obstacle.

It looks fantastic in motion and is a lot of high-octane fun, and the developer is so confident in their firework-launching mechanics that they added Relax Mode, which is devoid of enemies and simply allows you to fire them off as you wish and enjoy the effects. Arcade and Mission Mode, meanwhile, start off quite gently, but the challenge immediately ramps up. The DS is home to a lot of good shooters with solid presentation, and if you’re looking for something a little less conventional, Big Bang Mini is that game.

2

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King – 2008

Build A Kingdom All Your Own

The Wii’s WiiWare service was a handy way of creating and distributing more creative little games, which might otherwise never have made it to systems. At the same time, though, big-name releases and developers are a huge boon when it comes to drawing in customers to any storefront. Square Enix’s Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King, which launched with the service, remains one of WiiWare’s most successful and big-name releases, as well as being one of the series’ most interesting spin-offs.

A unique city builder, it follows on from Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, with a young ruler making their mark and building up their kingdom. Of course, as king, your role largely revolves around delegation, choosing which buildings are constructed and where, where workers, warriors and researchers focus their efforts, and so on. The presentation is classic Final Fantasy, and it’s far from a low-effort spin-off: With abilities for your people to learn, different classes to balance and increasing dungeon levels for them to manage, there’s a lot of gameplay to enjoy here for those who like digging deep into the mechanics of sim games. An excellent and tragically forgotten Final Fantasy spin-off.

1

Battalion Wars – 2005

A Different Perspective On Advance Wars

By 2005, North American gamers had been treated to several entries in the Wars series, in the shape of Advance Wars, Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising and Advance Wars: Dual Strike. Kuju London’s Battalion Wars also arrived in 2005, a third-person strategy game in which players don’t just direct units around a grid-based map but can control them directly. Players have access to a range of different units, some also appearing in Advance Wars (such as fighters, bombers, recon, and battleships) and others, like the formidable battlestation and flamethrower-wielding flame infantry, first appearing in this title.

The story focuses on the conflict raging between the newly-developed alliance between the Tundran Territories and the Western Frontier and the forces of Xylvania, which launched an attack across the region. Though its combat mechanics aren’t the deepest around, it’s quite novel in its mix of direct control and order-issuing gameplay, and missions across the sizable campaign are varied enough to keep it engaging throughout. This isn’t a genre that the GameCube ventured into very often, and it’s an even more welcome addition to its library as a result.