To: The Game Industry
From: Gen Katz, Editor
Topic: What Did Santa Bring?
Date: Dec 2005

So how is the 2005 Holiday Season different from last year's Holiday season? Well, this was the year of cooperative play. Every game on a console was pushing for coop play, from Narnia to Harry Potter. For single players there was AI, but human players consistently outperformed the AI. Playing with friends and family is a good way to get some social interaction going, so I can't believe it's just a ploy to sell controllers.

There were more girl games this season. What do I mean by girl games? Games where girls are the protagonists. They are the source of action and they don't get gratuitously killed off. Of course they were only implemented on the GBA platform, with the single exception of Bratz

    Girl Games
  • Winx (Konami) -- Girls with fairy power. Big game on a small hand-held.
  • Sky Dancer (Crave) -- The actual toy was more fun.
  • Kim Possible 3 (Disney Interactive) -- Spunky under cover spy with great moves and transport tubes.
  • Lizzie Mcguire: Homecoming Havoc 3 (Disney Interactive) -- Competition for homecoming queen set as a side scroller.
  • that's so Raven 2 (Disney Interactive) -- Pretty much the same moves -- pie throwing, picking up money, but now using disguises.
  • Bratz (THQ) -- What these girls need is a mother who says, "You're not going out like that!"
  • The Proud Family (BVG) -- The family is nice and Penny Proud is a wholesome and appealing character. Interesting that this feeing comes across in the game.
  • Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon (Her Interactive) -- Six characters on a restored luxury train searching for a missing actress and clues to a treasure.

    Unusual
  • Graffiti Kingdom (Hot-B) -- A 3D solid modeling program made into a game
  • We Love Katramari (Namco) -- A ball of fun. Second time around -- still good.

    Surprised Me
  • Karaoke Revolution Party (Konami) -- Full of amusing surprises. Best character customization ever. Rainstorm douses your character singing on a rooftop.
  • Flow - Urban Dance Uprising (Ubisoft) -- Your moves control hip-hop dancers.

    Big Time Movie Ports
  • Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (BVG) -- They made it all fighting.
  • King Kong (Ubisoft) -- bugs, worms and crabs -- Oh my!. Picks you up and drops you in the jungle.

    Welcome Back
  • Creature Village (Kutoka/Creature Labs) -- The best way to understand Mendelian genetics is to play with it.
  • Creature Exodus (Kutoka/Creature Labs) -- The Creatures are out in space, building an environment -- recycling, creating machines, combating diseases. Serious fun.

For complete reviews see: http://www.ginghamgames.com