There’s something weirdly poetic about the lineup of games that landed on Aussie shelves on July 21. In 2000, we were running four-player gauntlets, soup-up drifting through Stuttgart’s finest, and dice-rolling for our lives in the Spine of the World. By 2009, motion controls had us flailing like pros at a family BBQ, and in 2015, a silent sand-strewn trek reminded us that games can be quiet and beautiful too.
Whether you’re chasing high scores, high fantasy, or high emotion, today is a date that celebrates variety in its purest, strangest form.
Gauntlet Legends (Dreamcast) 2000
At A Glance
What do you get when you toss four medieval stereotypes into a blender of mobs, magic and meat? You get Gauntlet Legends, a high fantasy hack and slash buffet that originally feasted on your spare change in arcades before muscling onto Dreamcast. In a local co op era thick with couch chaos, Gauntlet Legends was a button mashing rite of passage, and the Dreamcast version brought the coin gobbling mayhem home with extra polish, voiceovers, and just enough slowdown to remind you that evil always finds a way.
Gameplay Gist
Gauntlet Legends was simple on the surface but devilishly addictive. Pick your hero from Warrior, Valkyrie, Wizard or Archer, then dive headlong into monster infested gauntlets, collecting keys, potions and piles of food (just don’t shoot the food). The rhythm was all about crowd control, zoning and strategic item hoarding. It felt like a dungeon crawler crossed with a pinball machine, and with the Dreamcast version supporting up to four players, it became a noisy, joyous mess of laser beams, axes and shared snacks.
Behind The Scenes Trivia
Gauntlet Legends was a spiritual continuation of the original 1985 Gauntlet, developed by Atari Games. The arcade version was one of the first to feature persistent character stats using passwords, which the Dreamcast port faithfully preserved via VMU save data. Interestingly, the Dreamcast version was based more closely on the Nintendo 64 release than the arcade, with Midway tweaking levels and adding some unique boss behaviours. The booming narrator voice (an iconic part of the experience) was voiced by Ernie Fosselius, best known for parodying Star Wars in Hardware Wars.
Connoisseur Cheat Sheet
- First console Gauntlet game to include full voice acting for pickups and narrator prompts
- Co op progression saved via VMUs, a novelty at the time
- Inspired later wave based arena modes in action RPGs
- Paved the way for Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, a more refined sequel built on the same engine
Kinda Similar
Champions of Norrath, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, Diablo II
Where To Play It Today
Search eBay Australia
Need For Speed: Porsche Unleashed (PC) 2000
At A Glance
Of all the wild detours the Need For Speed series has taken, Porsche Unleashed might be the classiest. Released in 2000, this PC exclusive parked the usual police chases and tuner mayhem to instead become a love letter to Stuttgart’s finest. Every car was a Porsche. Every race was an ode to rear engines, elegant curves and German precision. It was the most focused the series had ever been, and somehow, it worked beautifully.
Gameplay Gist
Porsche Unleashed was all about evolution. Starting in 1950 and working through five decades of Porsche history, you could race, restore and collect dozens of real models, from the scrappy 356 to the sleek 996. Career mode included Factory Driver missions that played out more like a driving sim than a street racer, with tight cornering, shifting and technical finesse at the forefront. Handling was weighty and realistic for its time, and weather effects on track gripped harder than a fresh set of Pirellis. No nitrous. No drifting. Just you, the engine and the road ahead.
Behind The Scenes Trivia
Porsche Unleashed was developed by Eden Studios, best known later for Test Drive Unlimited. It was the only Need For Speed title developed outside EA Canada during that generation, and it was also the last PC exclusive in the franchise. The game’s deep Porsche licensing gave it access to rare design documents and sound samples, leading to some of the most authentic engine audio in a racer at the time. A separate version was released on PlayStation under the name Porsche Challenge, though it was cut down considerably in both content and physics.
Connoisseur Cheat Sheet
- Only Need For Speed game with a single manufacturer focus
- Evolution mode covered 50 years of Porsche history
- Factory Driver mode introduced simulation style challenges
- One of the earliest racers to model realistic weather handling on PC
Kinda Similar
Gran Turismo 2, Test Drive Unlimited, GTR 2
Where To Play It Today
Search eBay Australia
Icewind Dale (PC) 2000
At A Glance
Icewind Dale invited us to leave behind the polite politics of Baldur’s Gate and instead strap in for frozen dungeon crawling and constant combat. Built on the same Infinity Engine, but refocused for action over dialogue, it was Black Isle’s more savage sibling. Where its cousins offered branching conversations and moral quandaries, Icewind Dale just asked one thing. Have you brought enough Fireball scrolls?
Gameplay Gist
Icewind Dale let you build an entire party from scratch, a feature that immediately screamed min max heaven. It was six deep, custom named, stat balanced mayhem. Instead of wandering the Sword Coast waiting for companions to tell you their life stories, here you picked your crew and dove straight into the action. The real time with pause combat system was classic Infinity fare, but encounters came thick and fast, with enemies more aggressive and spells more essential. Exploration was linear, but the atmosphere was unmatched. Snow fell softly while monsters hit hard.
Behind The Scenes Trivia
Icewind Dale was developed in just over a year by Black Isle Studios, using the established Infinity Engine from Baldur’s Gate. It reused many of that game’s assets and mechanics, but introduced a more combat focused structure with less open exploration. The name and setting were borrowed from R A Salvatore’s Legend of Drizzt novels, though the dark elf himself never appears. Composer Jeremy Soule created the game’s sweeping orchestral soundtrack, years before his more famous work on The Elder Scrolls series.
Connoisseur Cheat Sheet
- Full six member party creation at the outset
- Linear but highly atmospheric campaign design
- Heavy emphasis on combat and spell synergy
- Built on Infinity Engine, but tweaked for faster pacing
Kinda Similar
Baldur’s Gate II, Planescape Torment, Temple of Elemental Evil
Where To Play It Today
Search eBay Australia
Wii Sports Resort (Wii, 2009)
At A Glance
This was the date when I packed my digital bags and flew out to Wuhu Island, a cheerful little spot full of Frisbees, fencing and flightsuits. Wii Sports Resort was Nintendo’s sun soaked sequel to the original motion control phenomenon, and it was the first game to truly show off the upgraded precision of the Wii MotionPlus. With twelve sports, tropical flair and a surprisingly strong focus on personal bests, Wii Sports Resort was less a sequel and more a reinvention. The BBQ vibes were immaculate.
Gameplay Gist
Wii Sports Resort expanded the five activities of the original into a varied, replayable dozen. From skydiving intros to precision archery, each sport leaned into the one to one fidelity offered by MotionPlus. Table tennis and swordplay were the standouts, with responsive swing tracking and enough nuance to keep competitive players hooked. Air Sports mode let you fly around the island, discovering landmarks and secrets. Cycling and canoeing were sweatier than expected, while basketball three pointers gave you serious street cred if you could nail a clean swish.
Behind The Scenes Trivia
Wii Sports Resort was developed by Nintendo EAD and designed as a tech showcase for the Wii MotionPlus accessory, which launched alongside it. Wuhu Island would later become a recurring location across other Nintendo titles, including Pilotwings Resort and Mario Kart 7. Each Mii used in the game stored its own progress, and subtle weather and time of day changes were tied to real system time. Nintendo reportedly studied sports science footage to fine tune gestures for swordplay and basketball, making it one of the most technically accurate motion titles on Wii.
Connoisseur Cheat Sheet
- First game to require Wii MotionPlus
- Twelve full sports modes with individual progression
- Introduced Wuhu Island, later reused in other Nintendo games
- Swordplay and table tennis became cult multiplayer favourites
Controversies
Some critics at the time argued that Wii Sports Resort was just another mini game collection, but most were won over by its polish and physicality. There were also grumbles about the requirement to buy additional MotionPlus accessories for full multiplayer, which added to the cost. Still, it quickly became a top seller and remains one of the Wii’s most fondly remembered titles.
Kinda Similar
Wii Fit Plus, Kinect Sports, Nintendo Switch Sports
Where To Play It Today
Search eBay Australia
Journey (PS4) 2015
At A Glance
Journey floated quietly onto Australian PS4s and invited players into a world of shimmering sand and endless sky. Originally a cult hit on PS3, this re-release introduced a new generation to a robed wanderer crossing a vast desert toward a distant glowing mountain. There were no words, no scores, just a beautifully minimalist experience that focused on feeling rather than fighting. It was a masterclass in storytelling through atmosphere and music, reminding us that games can be art without noise.
Gameplay Gist
In Journey, players control a nameless figure gliding through deserts and ruins. There is no dialogue or combat, only exploration and subtle musical interactions. Using a magical scarf, the figure can float and leap, with longer scarves granting more airtime. Players encounter other anonymous travellers online, joining forces without words or names to help each other overcome obstacles. The game’s charm lies in its simple controls, elegant design and emotional connection created through silent cooperation.
Behind The Scenes Trivia
Journey was developed by Thatgamecompany under the direction of Jenova Chen. The original 2012 PS3 release won multiple Game of the Year awards and its PS4 version improved visuals and performance. Composer Austin Wintory’s soundtrack became the first video game score nominated for a Grammy. The team aimed to create feelings of smallness and wonder inspired by desert pilgrimages and sacred architecture. Despite its simplicity, Journey influenced many later games with its emotional storytelling and design.
Connoisseur Cheat Sheet
- Features anonymous online co operation with one other player
- Entire narrative is told without dialogue or text
- Dynamic music responds to player actions and environment
- Recognised as a pioneering work of game art
Any Controversies?
Some early players found Journey’s short length and minimal gameplay frustrating, expecting more traditional challenges. Others dismissed it as pretentious (not me). However, it went on to be celebrated as a milestone in interactive storytelling and an indie classic that challenged what games could be.
Kinda Similar
Abzû, Flower, Gris
Where To Play It Today
Search eBay Australia
