Forums > Contributor Zone > RotW: August 1st - August 7th (*sigh*)

It's been a month since Schultz was supposed to have had this done, and while I cut him some slack for putting in all that (much appreciated) effort for TT, this has just been waiting far too long. The people who contributed this week don't deserve to wait any longer, and they shouldn't have had to do so in the first place.

With that said, I sacrifice my own chances at placing (slim as they would have been) to finally get this done.

Choosing the three reviews to place this week wasn't too difficult, but actually placing them in order was. All three I found to be very good and compelling reads, so the placement could've gone either way.

THIRD PLACE: Castlevania: Harmony of Despair by honestgamer

Not having played many Castlevania games myself (Symphony of the Night is the only one I've played through, though I did give the NES one a try before giving up), I wasn't really sure what to expect from this. The comparisons with other games in the series is appreciated (and would be especially for fans who are more familiar with the series), as they paint a picture of what this game does differently and what it does the same. From the sound of it, it seems like it did enough different to make it actually quite good as well as making it unique enough to be called more than just a rehash of the DS title.

The writing itself is very thorough and exact; I feel like I know all I need to about the game. Though, there almost may have been a little too much detail that went into this, which may have gotten in the way of some of your broader points, but even if that's the case, it's not serious enough to really detract from anything.

SECOND PLACE: Summoner by Overdrive

I left you feedback (brief though it was) on this when you first wrote it, which you handily ignored (though perhaps you just didn't see it). It's only by grace and fortune that I rivisited it. =P Reading it a second time, I find I like it even better. You're entertaining while at the same time informative. I get a very clear picture of what this game could have been but wasn't. You make the flaws sound annoying and the interesting parts, well, interesting.

But please, for the love of God, it's Elder Scrolls IV. Not Enchanted Scrolls. xP I think you left it in to spite me...

FIRST PLACE: Ecco the Dolphin by JANUS2

I've never played this game, though it's one I've always been curious about. I think I remember trying it ages and ages ago in some game store that was selling it and not being able to figure anything out about it. I always like these retrospective reviews because, depending on what they cover, they often look back on something they were once fond of and then tear it up. This dispelling of nostalgia and opening one's mind to reality (or at least a more open perception of it) allows for a fairer judgment of the game in question that might otherwise not be had elsewhere.

This review is very effective in that regard. I understand exactly what drew you into the game in the first place, something that sounds like it could've been very effective on me, too, given the opportunity. And I understand exactly why you can't stand it anymore. It's like Incredible Crash Dummies was for me a few years ago. Upon returning to it again after about a decade or so, I found that the controls were absolutely useless and that I had almost no connection to what made me love it in the first place. Your case is much stronger than mine was, in my opinion, but your change in view was also considerably harsher. I also found the descriptions and examples to be quite vivid without being overly elaborate, which also made this an effective review for me.

And now we return to our regularly scheduled RotW. Well, as close to regular as it gets. Janus, where'd you go? =/

[Eating EmP's brain] probably isn't a good idea. I mean... He's British, which means his brain's wired for PAL and your eyes are NTSC. - Will

Janus left the building.

Thanks so much for doing this, WQ. For the last year, I've tried to keep the ROTW going as smoothly as possible without coming off as too much of a dick and it hasn't been easy. When someone volunteers to solve a problem like this, I think everyone who is a regular here really appreciates it.

Note to gamers: when someone shoots you in the face, they aren't "gay." They are "psychopathic."

No worries. Due to all the interest lately,tomorrow I'm going to post something to finally resolve this issue once and for all. (I was originally going to wait until the end of the week, but now I think the sooner the better).

[Eating EmP's brain] probably isn't a good idea. I mean... He's British, which means his brain's wired for PAL and your eyes are NTSC. - Will