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The Game Collector is here to help you find good deals on games that GameSpot's editors recommend. This week's installment brings you our choices for the Best Games of 2000. The 10 games selected were determined to be the best that their respective genres had to offer last year, so you can't go wrong in picking up any of these gems. If you're the type of player who likes to own a well-rounded collection of quality games across all platforms, this week's Game Collector is for you.
Samba de Amigo - Sega Dreamcast (2000)
Street Price: $28.00
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The puzzle genre has always thrived on two key factors--innovation and replay value. Samba de Amigo, last year's puzzle champion, has both of these disciplines mastered. And rarely does a game come along with such visual flair and uniquely addictive gameplay. The sheer volume and quality of the game's music keep things from getting old, and Samba even manages to push the nostalgia button by giving you the ability to download theme music from Sega classics, such as Outrun and Afterburner. Get some maracas and start shakin'.
Theme Park Roller Coaster - Sony PlayStation 2 (2000)
Street Price: $23.98
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Theme Park Roller Coaster is a theme park simulation that focuses on the business end of running your own amusement park. The PS2 game lets you design and manage variously themed amusement parks and control every aspect of your budding business--from the ticket price to the insane ride design. From a simulation standpoint, there is plenty to do in the game. Not only do you build the actual park, but you also design your own roller coasters, research new rides, and manage your park's staff.
NFL 2K1 - Sega Dreamcast (2000)
Street Price: $15.99
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The Dreamcast's built-in 56k modem ushered in a new standard for sports games in the year 2000. For the first time, players were able to go online with a console and find human opponents to line up against. Visual Concepts made all the right sacrifices with NFL 2K1. When you compare it with the original NFL 2K, you'll notice that the graphical detail has been cut back ever so slightly; however, the improved speed of 2K1 more than makes up for it. NFL 2K1 still stands as the best 3D football game ever.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 - Sega Dreamcast (2000)
Street Price: $27.50
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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 has served as a wake-up call for all the clones and pretenders that had hit the market in the year between the two Tony Hawk games. The game offers tons of replay value, amazing graphics on both the PlayStation and the Dreamcast, a top-notch soundtrack, and even a level editor to keep things entertaining once you've mastered all the existing levels. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 was developed with plenty of room for innovation and freestyling on the part of the player.
Ogre Battle 64 - Nintendo 64 (2000)
Street Price: $45.00
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After making a switch to turn-based battles and player movement with Tactics Ogre, many members of the original Ogre Battle development team at Quest left the company to develop Final Fantasy Tactics for Square. Ogre Battle 64 does away with the battle system found in Tactics Ogre in favor of a deceptive hands-off approach that takes away control of the individual troops during a battle but adds an insane amount of strategy in individual unit configuration and battlefield options.
Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 - Sega Dreamcast (2000)
Street Price: $9.00
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Capcom and SNK's collaboration was a long time coming. While the fruit of their dealings--Capcom vs. SNK--in no way ended the exhaustive "who aped whom" discourse that's been going on for years, the companies' collaboration made it obsolete in many ways. Now, at long last, Ryu can fight Ryo, Chun Li can throw down with Mai, and Zangief and Raiden can take it to the ring. In one fell swoop, Capcom consolidated both franchises' play styles and game mechanics into one functional and compelling game.
Banjo-Tooie - Nintendo 64 (2000)
Street Price: $26.55
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The seemingly free-form nature of 3D platformers is used to its fullest potential in Banjo-Tooie, which is evident in the game's incredible range of gameplay. Aside from controlling the three playable characters--Banjo, Kazooie, and the voodoo shaman Mumbo Jumbo--in a standard behind-the-back third-person perspective, Banjo-Tooie includes a variety of other game types, including but not limited to a first-person shooting mode and a racing mode. Even the standard 3D platformer model is well used, with a huge range of puzzles and plenty of item collection.
Perfect Dark - Nintendo 64 (2000)
Street Price: $20.00
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Like GoldenEye 007 before it, Perfect Dark is an exciting first-person shooter rife with intrigue, espionage, and good old blow-'em-up action. A great time can be had playing Perfect Dark--you can hone your skills against the computer, complete the next challenging mission, or compete in four-player deathmatch, king of the hill, or capture the briefcase. Alone or with friends, Perfect Dark is one of those games that keeps you playing long after the novelty of its competitors has worn out.
Resident Evil Code: Veronica - Sega Dreamcast (2000)
Street Price: $13.88
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On the whole, Code Veronica is a tightly knit package of a game. Almost every aspect of the game is far beyond what anyone might have ever expected it to be. Whether it's the stunning visuals, the lush environmental sounds, the dark, brooding musical score, or the deep and engaging storyline, every aspect of the latest installment in the Resident Evil series is a winner, which is why it was handed the award for Best Adventure Game of 2000. Code: Veronica is one of the Dreamcast's must-have games.
Test Drive Le Mans - Sega Dreamcast (2000)
Street Price: $19.99
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TDLM has something for everyone. Fans of both the meticulous simulation as well as arcade-style racing can customize the game's options and settings to their respective preferences and enjoy the game. What other racing game gives you the option to drive in 24-hour races in real time? The game's strengths do not stop with fast frame rates and impressive sound--there are 40-plus authentic GT1 and GT2 cars in the game, from manufacturers such as BMW, Audi, and Chrysler, as well as 10 ACO racing circuit-approved tracks.
Be sure to visit GameBuyer for the best deals on video games anywhere.
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