Critics went apeshit for this bloody stealth/Disney cartoon hybrid, and for good reason. Kri’s combo mechanic was unlike anything we’d seen before, and truly one of the finest justifications for dual analog sticks outside of a first-person shooter. Sony was well aware of what they had and actually went as far as to patent the fight system with the US copyright office, doubtlessly hoping to profit from the mass of developers who would want to incorporate it into their games.

Above: The right analog stick assigns a specific button to an enemy

Unfortunately, consumers were not as kind as the critics. Presumably hoping to gain widespread exposure for its fancy new proprietary fight system, Kri’s sticker price continued to descend until at least two GR editors picked it up for a cool $9.99 just a few months after its May ’02 release. But if it’s any consolation to Kri fans, the game often commands a higher price today - used - than it did seven years ago.

Dark Sector: Another victim of its own hype. With development starting as early as 2000, all the delays and revamps created a steady loss of interest in both the public and the enthusiast press alike. As an office favorite of ours, we feel most critics shrugged it off with a “fun, but nothing special” as a result of failing to live up to almost a decade of promises (copy/paste: Too Human).

According to a manager at our local GameStop, Dark Sector saw a $20 price cut after a scant two weeks, shot back up to $60 the next week, plummeted still lower a week later, where today you can find it just about anywhere for $9.99 brand spankin’ new. We say it’s not only worth that asking price, it makes the perfect birthday gift when you want to give off the illusion that you spent far more money than you actually did.