Gamecube:

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Is Squaresoft’s long awaited return to a Nintendo console. Set to come out on February 9th the game features multiplayer capability allowing four friends to play with either the Game Boy Advance or the standard Gamecube controller. It’s an action RPG that should prove a worthy addition to the Final Fantasy collection.

Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes: Is a remake of the original Metal Gear Solid for Playstation. Only with much improved graphics, some enhanced gameplay, and some extra footage that wasn’t in the original. Giving it more of a “director’s cut” feel. Whatever the case The Twin Snakes is set to come out on March 4th and should be well worth the purchase (to play MGS with MGS II’s graphics).

GameBoy Advance:

Metroid II: Zero Mission: So far, Metroid II appears to be a remake of the original Nintendo game, with a few new areas and bosses. Samus will have all her skills from Super Metroid and the graphics are looking excellent (with wonderful backgrounds and cut-scenes) so wait around for February 9th and then, run out and pick it up.

River City Ransom EX: Slated to come out on April 15th (unfortunately no sooner) River City Ransom is a port of the classic 2D brawler from the Nintendo era. For those of you who haven’t played it: RCR resembles games like Double Dragon and Battletoads but incorporates some elements of RPGs, such as purchasing and eating things to regain strength, or the ability learn new punch and kick combos. This game is seriously one of the best side scrollers I’ve ever played, ever. So I’d recommend buying it to anyone that owns a Game Boy Advance.

Playstation 2:

Mafia: Is being transported from the PC to consoles January 27th. Mafia is a game about, as you may have already guessed, a bunch of wise guys and Mafioso. You play the role of Tommy Angelo, a cabdriver pulled into the illicit activities of a crime family (the Salieri’s) after being a getaway driver for them one night. The game is a third person shooter, similar to Grand Theft Auto or True Crime that will hopefully be ported well to consoles.

Colin McRae Rally 4.0: Is the fourth installment of a worthy Rally Racing series that’s worked its way a long way from its Playstation premier. The game keeps the same “race against the clock” format as real rally races as they’ve had in the previous games and features a couple new tracks, more detailed car and scenery models and incredibly detailed car damage. Coming out sometime in the First Quarter of 2004, 4.0 should be one of those dazzling graphical games to tame your driving desires until Gran Turismo 4 comes out this summer.

Lupin The 3rd: Treasure of The Sorcerer King: For those of you who don’t know, Lupin is a show on [adult swim] about an international bank robber/jewel thief/master of disguise who commits crimes and evades the law with a band of his closest friends (Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko). It’s kind of like James Bond gone bad; complete with all the style and ego. The game, scheduled to come out February 10th, should involve a good deal of action, romance, disguises and mystery. The screenshots I’ve seen don’t look bad, but they leave a lot to the imagination gameplay wise. But if you’re a fan, definitely check it out.

X-Box:

Sega GT Online: Is the latest racing game to grace the X-Box. Set for release January 27th, the game is pretty much a more improved version of last year’s Sega GT 2002. Only this time, it includes (as you may have guessed from the title) online capability. The controls and graphics are similar to its predecessor, the game features 165 different cars from most of the major manufacturers of the US, Japan, and Europe, and should prove a good driving experience for those seeking high speed hardcore tarmac action on Microsoft’s black box.

Unreal II: The Awakening: Is the sequel to the First Person Shooter Unreal: Tournament. And a port of the gorgeous PC game released last year; that will be coming to the hands of eager X-Box fans everywhere February 10th. After some delays and a somewhat disappointed fan base after the PC release, Unreal is coming chock full of new levels, a quality online experience, and (hopefully unlike the PC version) and expanded single player story. Boasting a control scheme ” as good as Halo’s,” an expanded multiplayer and all the graphical wonders from the PC version (i.e. Lighting and fog effects) the Box seems to be a fitting platform ready to host the all out next FPS war.

Ninja Gaiden: Is a remake of the NES arcade classic due out February 23rd. So far the visuals look great, the gameplay elements from the first games (wall jumps, etc.) are in tact. And if you get bored with the pretty graphics and blood, this new version even contains all three of the first Ninja Gaiden games in their entirety. The environments and lighting effects, combined with the lighting effects alone warrant a rent if you loved the classic. But at this point, Gaiden seems to be a wonderful conversion from the old to new schools of graphics without sacrificing gameplay.