P.N. 03 (2003, Gamecube)

Capcom was on fire in the early '00s. The Dreamcast allowed for nearly arcade-perfect ports of their late 2D masterpieces Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Street Fighter III: Third Strike, and Capcom vs. SNK 2 in 2001. These games were stunning to behold and to play. Third Strike is regarded by many fighting enthusiasts as the greatest fighting game of all time. It was a tournament staple from 2001-2012 or so, and still commands a huge following on online emulators like GGPO and XBOX Live.

But the release of the Gamecube, and XBOX coupled with the success of the PS2 squished the Dreamcast around 2003, 2D gaming with it. It was obvious that Capcom could no longer get by on 2D arcade ports and was forced to enter the 3D action gaming arena. They did so with flourish. In 2002, Mikami Shinji announced five games for the Gamecube, each promising the ingenuity of Capcom's late 2D fighters. Those games were Killer 7, directed by an up-and-coming Goichi Suda; Dead Phoenix, a lush Panzer Dragoon-style rail shooter; Viewtiful Joe, still one of the most visually compelling 2D action game; Resident Evil 4 of which nothing need be said; and P.N. 03, no doubt the least-recalled member of the "Capcom Five" aside from the ultimately cancelled Dead Phoenix.

History's snub of P.N. 03 isn't entirely unwarranted. Today, there are plenty of mechanically better third-person shooters to play, not the least of which is Resident Evil 4. Compelling gameplay is not the reason you should play P.N. 03 today. Play Sin & Punishment 2 for a similar game better in nearly every way. I say "nearly" because of the one department in which P.N. 03 still captivates: its aesthetic.

Mikami Shinji games unfailingly have great, distinguishing senses of atmosphere. Resident Evil's barren mansion halls were unlike anything that came before it. Devil May Cry's gothic castle, with its high ceilings and expansive corridors, still inspires agoraphobia. P.N. 03's atmosphere was designed using the same medium: emptiness and sterility. The bleach-white halls are redolent if 2001: A Space Odyssey's. Everything in the game is metal--everything except for the skin of Vanessa, the player avatar and one of the most unfairly overlooked protagonists of the PS2 era.

Its not just Vanessa's flesh that sets her apart from her bleak surroundings, but the way she moves. The games enemies are stiff, expressionless robots. Vanessa, constantly in motion, stands out among them. She cartwheels, and backflips with fluidity. She gyrates her hips when executing a special attack. When idling, she taps her feet to the beat of the background music. Shots are fired and enemies spawn to the beat of P.N. 03's music. Everything in the game seems to be able to hear it, but only Vanessa is in conversation with it--her gyrating and foot-tapping are her way of contributing back to the music, talking to it, and talking to you.

Highest Recommendation