CRASH BANDICOOT: THE WRATH OF CORTEX (XBOX)
Originally released for the PS2 in the fall of 2001, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex was launched on the original Xbox on this day in 2002. The title was also ported to the Gamecube by Eurocom in late 2002. The fourth installment of the Crash Bandicoot series, The game focuses on protagonist Crash and his sister Coco as they travel the world to gather special crystals. These crystals will cause the Elementals to hibernate, which will defeat Crush (a genetically advanced bandicoot created by Crash’s arch nemesis Doctor Neo Cortex). It was the first title of the series to not be developed by Naughty Dog and the first to make its way onto consoles outside the Sony line. The game was welcomed with mixed reviews, but still sold relatively well across all markets. It was also later launched via the Xbox Live Marketplace in 2007.
KIRBY & THE AMAZING MIRROR (GAMEBOY ADVANCE)
Released in 2004 in Japan, Kirby & the Amazing Mirror was the last Kirby title to be released for the Game Boy Advance. Rather than a traditional Kirby side-scroller, this title features an adventure-style game design. In many ways, the game resembles The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, as both feature multiplayer adventure gameplay, as well as the main character being divided into four sub-entities distinguished by color and skillset. The Mirror World (which lies in the skies of Dream Land) gets corrupted and it’s up to Kirby and his alternative selves to restore order. The game was later also released for 3DS owners on the Virtual Console in 2011, and the Wii U Virtual Console in 2014.
TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX: VEGAS 2 (PC)
As we are dealing a lot with series installments today, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 is the seventh installment of the Rainbow Six series. Released initially on Xbox 360 and PS3 in March of 2008, the title was delayed on PC until this day in 2008. The original lead protagonist, Logan Keller, was removed in this title to allow players to create their own character to play through the campaign. This player-designed Bishop protagonist is also a member of the Rainbow squad with a lot of experience, and is well integrated into the lore of the series. Dubbed part sequel and part prequel, the events of the title run both before and alongside the stories of Logan Keller, picking up where the conclusion of the first game left things. New commands were added alongside an improved AI experience, and players were also given the ability to customize their Bishop for multiplayer combat. Generally well received, criticism stemmed from being too akin to the first game of the series.
Some other titles released on this day:
- KKND: Krossfire – PlayStation – 1999
- Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II – Xbox – 2003
- Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse – Episode 1: The Penal Zone – PlayStation 3 – 2010
My Life, or Something Like It 