Enough Is Never Enough

Ever since I got my PS3 in January, my PS2 has been collecting dust back behind the TV. (In all honesty, the PS3 is collecting dust too, because I don't dust as frequently as I should, but the PS3 is at least in use.) However, I primarily use the PS3 to play PS2 games and Blu-Ray movies. Not so much with the PS3 games just yet.

I guess I "officially" moved into the next gen when I picked up my Wii on November 19. The previous month I had purchased Okami (late) and Final Fantasy XII (at a midnight launch event). I figured these would be the swan song of the PS2 for me. I still have a PS2 backlog to work through, but my main focus was going to be on the exciting new world of HD graphics and motion controls.

Then I started to hear good things about Rogue Galaxy so I picked that up as well. One more RPG on the pile isn't going to make a difference anyway. When God of War II came out and topped the sales charts, I finally picked up the original God of War and played through some of it to get a feel for the title, seeing as it's one of the best-loved games of the previous gen. I haven't played God of War II yet, but I probably will eventually. I have also heard glad tidings that SquareEnix's Dawn of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 4) is coming to the PS2 in late May.

And now, skulking around Penny Arcade and its associated forums has turned up information about Odin Sphere, a sidescrolling, 2-D action RPG, and gRimgRiMoiRe (i.e., Grim Grimoire), a NIS real-time strategy game, both forthcoming for the PS2. Odin Sphere got a glowing review from Tycho that has helped push me into its party. It's not the sort of thing I'd be attracted to at a glance, but the more I look at it, the more I want to play it. It kind of reminds me of Altered Beast with the sidescrolling, power-upping game mechanics and 2-D sprites, although probably with fewer wise fwom your gwave hijinks. gRimgRiMoiRe, although its inexplicable internal caps pierce my heart like so many deadly, deadly lawn darts, is sure to be a big hit in my household, some members of which still wake up in a cold sweat in the dead of night, all these long years later, from nightmares of Prinny Baal to which they can not give voice.

I guess this should not surprise me. Seeing as the DreamCast had a new game come out this year, and this morning Kotaku even covered a new Super Famicon game, the PSDouble is a long way from defunct. I've also been fleshing out my GameCube holdings recently, as I now have a machiine capable of playing them. As excited as I am about the new generation of gaming (even about the Wii, with as much buzz as it's been getting), it seems like some of the juiciest new offerings around are still for ye grande ole system.

Ode on a console:

Tho' in power deficit,

Hark! She rumbles yet.