Columns | GameCola

Dear Readers: Ghostbusters: The Videogame

Columns by Paul Franzen on July 1, 20031

Alright guys, I'm pretty sure that GameCola's among the first to break the news on this upcoming title... but Konami's coming out with a new Ghostbusters title for Playstation 2. No word on whether or not it will be ported to any other major consoles, but PS2 is a definite.
… of the Month: Miniature Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Figurines

Columns by Matt Gardner on June 1, 2003

Now you can have all the fun and excitement of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in a manageable size!! These tiny figures pack a huge punch of adventure, and they are good for any situation!! Whether it be on a job interview or driving around in your car, it is always a good idea to have these little guys around!! They are each approximately small, and come in five different exciting action packed characters!! The characters are Link (adult), Link (child), Zelda (child), Ganondorf, and Poe!! These exciting mini-figures are limited in quantity and are extremely rare!! Supplies are limited so you better act quickly if you don't want to miss out on the chance of a lifetime!! This is the perfect gift for any fan!! Come on down to your local quarter machine arena and purchase yours today!
Advice for the Sensitive Gamer #1

Columns by Jenna Ogilvie on June 1, 2003

Jenna Ogilvie offers advice about having dreams about Princess Toadstool.
The Gates of Life: Episode 3 – Push On

Columns by Brian Wolf on June 1, 2003

Barin: The port of Samghon on the western shores of the Red Isle will shelter us.
[NSFW] Dear Readers: Cursing is Uncreative

Columns by Paul Franzen on June 1, 2003

I've recently decided that I want to keep GameCola's level of cursing to a minimum.
… of the Month: Game Boy Advance SP

Columns by Matt Gardner on June 1, 2003

The new Game Boy Advance SP, or G-BASP as I enjoy writing it, is quite an improvement upon the original. Although the original GBA was pocked-sized, depending on your pockets, this baby is even more pocket sized, for even smaller pockets!! The new laptopish design of this beauty allows for easier carrying, although some could complain about the way it feels in your hand while playing it, compared to the GBA (I personally think it's fine). The internal light is probably the best new feature, and it alone is worth buying it, as far as I'm concerned. The light can be turned on or off whenever you want, in case you were in a situation where you had plenty of light and didn't need the extra illumination. Instead of using AA batteries like the old GBA, the SP uses a battery pack that lasts for up to 18 hours without the light on, and 10 hours with it, and is rechargeable (recharger comes with the SP, by the way). You can buy the GBASP for about $100 new, and you can get a good chunk of that off if you trade in your old GBA at GameStop or some such store when you buy it.
The Gates of Life: Episode 2 – The Docks

Columns by Brian Wolf on May 1, 2003

Barin: Dugo, gimme a hand down at the docks. We wouldn't want to keep Apul waiting...
… of the Month: Snapple Apple

Columns by Matt Gardner on May 1, 2003

Normally, I write my little "... of the Month" section about some sort of video game or video game related thing, but Snapple Apple is a worthy exception. Now, you may be thinking to yourself, "Why would I want to try this drink? I've had apple juice before; I know what it tastes like." That's an understandable reaction, but you're wrong; sorry buddy. Snapple Apple is different from all other apple juices in one major way... it actually tastes like an apple. Now I know some of you Apple Jacks people will tell me that tasting like apple isn't everything, but this drink is far superior to any other apple beverages I've had, and believe me, I've had my share of apple beverages. The first time I tried this I was actually surprised that it tasted just like I had bitten into a nice fresh apple, and I'm sure all of you critics out there will feel the same way. So, if you are tired of all those meddling kids out there telling you that tasting like apple is a bad thing, go out to your local Snapple emporium and buy yourself a case of Snapple Apple... seriously, 100% of people polled love the stuff.
Versus Mode: Pokémon Red vs. Pokémon Ruby

Columns by Kay Leacock on May 1, 2003

For those of you who have never played Pokémon (Cthulhu forbid), it's a game where you play as a little boy who just got his Pokémon training license. You are trying to catch every Pokémon, and then train them to compete against gym leaders and an elite team of trainers. Pokémon are these little creatures that inhabit the world, and they'll randomly attack you when you're fishing or walking through the grass. Then, you either fight the Pokémon until they faint and get experience for it, or fight it until it weakens and throw a Poké Ball ( a device used to capture a Pokémon) at it to make it yours.
Dear Readers: What is an RPG?

Columns by Paul Franzen on May 1, 2003

I overheard these children in my school's gymnasium the other day discussing just what makes a game an RPG, and it kind of made me laugh. To them, a role-playing game is a game in which you name your main character, you are able to alter the storyline, and you take turns battling. So, by their logic, none of the games in the Legend of Zelda series can be considered RPGs, nor can Secret of Mana or Super Mario RPG. This got me thinking about what the true definition of a role-playing game really is. After looking back at all of the RPGs that I've beaten, I realized that the number of such games is embarrassingly small, and thus I'm probably no expert on RPGs. So I decided to pop on over to the Chrono Cross boards on GameFaqs to ask a few people who might be what their definition of a role-playing game would be.